Serial
by C.I.TigerFan
Summary: Even if you don't care for Lori, the case is unique. Really starts hopping at chapter 3. There's a serial killer loose on Steve's island. He has a hidden history that becomes very personal. Chpt 12 violence rated T to be safe
1. Chapter 1: October 22, 2013

**A/N: So I couldn't let things rest. Here's a new fic for your review. Hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 1: October 22, 2013**

Danny and Steve surveyed the carnage in the abandoned warehouse. Six dead. Of those six, one made no sense. There were four dead Kakunazi and two dead Moshoto. That they understood. Gang related violence was nothing new in this part of town. It was the young blonde woman, dead in the corner that didn't fit. There were ligature marks around her wrists and ankles. She wore a sparkly cocktail dress and heavy makeup; mascara ran down her cheeks in tracts. "Cause of death?"

"From the placement of the entry wound, I'm going to guess the bullet tore through the heart. Death would have been instant. Commander McGarrett?"

"Yes, Max?"

"Preliminary exam revealed extensive bruising, everywhere but on her face. Ligature marks here and here."

"I saw those. This girl was tortured."

"So it would seem. My boss was very interested in the details of this woman's death when I called in my preliminary findings".

"What do you mean?" Steve asked, frowning.

"He asked me very specific questions including..."

"Hey, Boss!" Kono called from the back of the warehouse. "You need to see this."

"Let me know," Steve ordered as he turned and headed toward Kono.

"Will do, Commander."

Danny pocketed his notepad and fell in step with Steve. "What are you thinking?"

Steve scowled. "I don't know yet."

Steve and Danny followed Kono through a black swinging door into a small, square room with a concrete floor and blood stained walls. There was a drain in the center of the room over which hung a large metal hook on a thick, swinging chain. At the back of the small room, two iron clasps lay hauntingly empty on the floor.

"What the hell?" Danny asked as he surveyed the room.

"This must be where they kept her," Steve said, mostly to himself.

"There's more," Kono communicated in a voice thick with disgust.

The three men followed her into a small storage room. There they found ominous, stainless steal instruments lying on shelves and hanging from peg board along the wall. The metal tools were immaculate as if the owner took great pride in their care. Chin suppressed a shiver. "How is this connected to that out there?" he asked.

"I don't know," Steve answered, wondering the same thing himself.

"Hey, look at this," Danny said from inside the storage room where he had been inspecting the surgical type instruments. With a gloved hand, he picked up a small branding tool. He held it out for Steve to see. "It's been used... repeatedly."

"Is that a cactus?" Steve questioned as he inspected the iron design.

"Weird, huh?" Danny said and placed the branding iron back on the shelf.

"Chin, see if you can get a hit on any crimes involving a cactus brand. I know it's a long shot, but see what you come up with."

Chin nodded and excused himself from the concrete room.

Further inspection of the warehouse yielded no more clues as to what connected the five gang-bangers to the pretty blond in the corner.

"Kono, take the photos of the six dead bodies back to FiveO and run them through facial rec. Let me know what you find. Oh and see if you can figure out what's happening between the Kakunazi and the Moshoto these days."

"Will do."

On her way out, Kono met two men in suits as they traversed the warehouse. "_Feds_," she thought and headed to her car.

Steve and Danny noticed them too. One stopped to gather information from the HPD officer stationed near the entrance to the warehouse, the other made himself at home in Steve's crime scene.

Steve stiffened at the intrusion and headed past Danny to greet the intruder. "Steve... Steve," Danny called wearily, recognizing the warning on Steve's face. He sighed and rolled his eyes as his friend politely ignored him.

"Can I help you with something?" Steve asked, legs spread in a wide, defensive stance, arms crossed over his chest.

"I doubt it," suit number one mumbled as he pushed past Steve, further into the warehouse.

"Hey," Steve snapped and spun the guy sharply around on his heels. A shoving match ensued complete with yelling, posturing, and pointing. Danny and suit number two pulled the men apart before fists were thrown. Suit number two sent suit number one flying with a hard push and a forceful reprimand.

Suit number two then introduced himself. "I'm Special Agent Faruke Amari, Federal Bureau of Investigations. I apologize for my partner's behavior". The senior partner extended his hand to Steve. "You're Commander McGarrett?"

Steve eyed the agent in front of him before shaking his hand. He was older than Steve, maybe fifty. He wore a simple gold wedding band on his left ring finger and a pleasant enough smile on his face. He was of Mediterranean or Middle Eastern descent, "_maybe_ _Lebanese_", Steve thought. Although not common, he remembered the striking blue and amber eyes of a minority of Lebanese people from his SEAL missions in the Middle East.

"Yes and this is my partner, Danny Williams. We're with FiveO".

"Nice to meet you. I've heard great things about FiveO and the work you do. That idiot over there is my partner, Special Agent Michael Jenkins. He's a good guy, just a bit hot tempered. I apologize."

Steve ignored the snort he heard from behind him where Danny stood. "Agent Amari, why is the Federal Bureau of Investigations interested in our case?"

"We're only interested in one aspect of your case. The woman. We believe she's a part of something bigger."

"Who is she?"

"Don't know, but the MO tracks with a serial we've been hunting for two years now. He's just recently been active on the islands."

"What MO?"

"Young blond, mid to late twenties, evening wear, heavy makeup, bruising from the neck down."

"How did you find out so quickly?"

"We got a call from the ME's office. Four months ago, we sent out an alert to the ME's on the islands. Anything resembling our criteria, they call."

"How many bodies... here in Hawaii?"

"If this is one of his, she makes three. One on Kauai, one on Maui, now her. We find them on the first Saturday of each month. He kills over a six month period, six women, then he disappears, that's how he works."

"But this is the third Tuesday of this month," Danny pointed out.

"I know. All the previous victims were reported missing one to two weeks before they were found. He takes his time with them. After they're killed, they're placed in a conspicuous area to be found on the third Saturday of the month. Either she isn't one of his or maybe, if we're lucky, whatever happened here screwed up his plans and we'll find some new evidence. If you don't mind Commander, I'd like to take a look at the body."

Max was finishing with the last victim, one of the Moshoto boys. The other five lay bagged and tagged where they fell.

"She's over there". Steve pointed to the corner where a black cadaver bag lay, evidence number seven displayed next to it. The agents followed Steve to the body. The younger agent, Special Agent Jenkins knelt down next to the bag and unzipped it, exposing the woman's face and neck. He turned her head to the left and pushed her hair back revealing a fresh burn in the shape of a small cactus.

Agent Jenkins turned to the men standing behind him. "She's one of his."

Steve frowned and squatted down next to him. The agent leaned back allowing Steve a clear view of the brand. "We found his branding iron back there. We found that and a storage room full of tools."

The two agents cut their eyes at each other, obviously intrigued by the find. "Would you mind showing us?" Agent Amari asked.

Steve's phone rang before he could answer, but he nodded to Danny giving him the okay to proceed. "Chin, what ya' got?"

"That cactus brand is significant. I'm afraid we may be dealing with a serial."

"Yeah, I know. FBI showed up after you left. Max's boss called them right after he called in the report."

"There's more. Here's Kono."

"Hey, Boss. The five dead guys each have rap sheets as long as my arm. Known associates are consistent with their tattoos. Three are Kakunazi and two are Moshoto. Not sure what's happening between those two yet. The woman is twenty-eight year old Melissa Leigh Heathrow. No known connection to either gang. She was reported missing nine days ago by her roommate and coworker. She was a waitress at The Mojito Club. No criminal record. I have an address for work and home."

"Good, you and Chin talk to the roommate. See what you can come up with."

"Got it."

Steve joined the others in the back room. "Anything?"

"If it's alright with you Commander, I'd like to send all of this to our lab for prints and DNA. We've never been able to locate his play room before. Maybe we'll get lucky."

"I don't know, it looks pretty clean," Danny commented.

"Worth a shot," Agent Amari countered.

"What exactly are we dealing with here," Steve demanded.

Agent Amari pointed past him. "Special Agent Weston can fill you in on that."

Steve and Danny turned to find Lori Weston headed in their direction. She walked confidently toward them wearing a blue, curve hugging skirt and a yellow and blue sleeveless silk shirt. Her hair hung down past her shoulders in long, loose waves and bounced invitingly as she walked. Steve licked his lips unconsciously. It had been a year and a half since Lori and Steve had said their awkward goodbye at FiveO, and just as long since they had last spoken. Steve had found himself thinking about her more often than not since that goodbye. Danny stepped forward and greeted her with a hug. "_Agent_ Weston, huh?"

"So it would seem," she chuckled.

"You look good, Babe."

"Thank you". Turning toward Steve, she met his eyes and smiled. "Hello, Steve," she said rather shyly and crossed her arms loosely in front of her.

Steve touched her elbow. "It's good to see you," he said as he leaned down and placed a quick kiss on her cheek. He was pleased to see the pink flush her cheeks. Danny observed the exchange wordlessly, his curiosity aroused.

"I assume Agent Amari has filled you in."

"Not really," Danny answered. "He said that you were the person to talk to so... talk," he teased with a very sweet Danny grin on his face.

"Why don't you get Chin and Kono and meet me at my office. I'll show you everything we have."

"How long have you been working on this," Steve asked.

"The files arrived four months ago. They had a hunch he was heading this way."

"So you've been..."

"Agent Weston!" Amari called from just inside the concrete room door.

"I'll meet you in an hour or so? My office? It's in the Federal Building." Lori asked.

Steve nodded.

"We'll be there," Danny confirmed.

Lori excused herself to join her fellow agents in the investigation. Steve watched her walk away. He just didn't recall her looking so... so...

"She is a fine looking woman," Danny offered.

"_Fine_... so damn _fine_. That's the word," Steve thought.

Danny slapped Steve on the chest with the back of his hand. "You should ask her out."

"What? Where did that come from?"

"Where did that come from? Really? You've got a little something there on your chin."

Steve slapped his hand away as Danny reached for his face.

"Its drool my friend because you like her."

"I do not". The two men headed toward the entrance of the warehouse.

"Whatever... You know, you never told me what happened between you two."

"That's because nothing happened."

"Uhuh. Then why did you act so weird when you told us she resigned and was heading back east?"

"I didn't act weird."

"Yes you did. You told us and then you left. Even Kono said, 'That was weird,' because you were acting weird."

"You're weird."

"Classic deflection."

"Okay, can we just drop this, please?"

"Sure, we can drop it... after you tell me what it is that you're not telling me."

Steve pulled up short in the parking lot. He spun to face Danny. "You're not gonna' let this go are you?"

"No, I am not," Danny said with a triumphant grin on his face.

Steve rolled his eyes. "When she handed me her resignation, she said that she had let a lot of things slide because of her feelings for me."

Danny clapped his hands in front of him. "I knew it. I knew she had a thing for you."

"Yeah, well, I didn't. And I didn't handle things well when she told me."

"What did you say," Danny asked accusingly.

"I didn't say anything except that I was going to miss her. Then I hugged her and that was that."

"You're an idiot," Danny said and threw his hands in the air. He turned sharply and headed for the passenger side of the Camaro."

It was Steve's turn to roll his eyes. He joined Danny in the car. "What should I have said?"

"I don't know, maybe you could have asked her to stay on the island. I mean now that you weren't working together anymore, maybe you could have gone out, given things a try."

"I was seeing Catherine at the time, remember? She was actually here on leave when Lori resigned, and I had already made plans to train on Cath's ship for a couple of days."

"Yeah, that worked out well, now didn't it? Isn't that when you found out about what's his face...?"

"Marty," Steve said dryly.

"Right, Marty from Alabama."

"Yeah, don't remind me."

"What? It all worked out. You got to punch somebody, no consequences, and you found out the truth. Things weren't really going anywhere with Catherine anyway. You said that yourself."

"Still"

"Yeah, I know. But now, Lori's back... maybe you feel her out... see if she's still carrying a little torch for you? Huh? Could be fun... that's all I'm gonna' say about it."

"That's all you're gonna' say about it," he said, doubting the validity of that statement.

"Yeah, that's all... My lips are sealed," he said as he pretended to lock his lips and throw away the key.

"Yeah, I'll believe that when I see it."

Their discussion had carried them back to FiveO where they caught Chin and Kono on their way out the door to go and speak with the roommate. "The missing person's report wasn't much help," Kono informed them. Danny filled them in on what all had transpired at the crime scene.

"We'll head to Lori's, see what she has, then, the two of you go ahead and talk to the roommate." The four of them took two cars to FBI headquarters, not four blocks from FiveO.

"I wonder how long she's been back." Steve pondered on the way.

"You know, that's a great question. Why don't you ask her?"

"See, there you go again."

"What? I didn't say one word about you asking her out."

"And there it is," Steve droned sardonically.

"You're impossible. If you want to ask her out, then do it. Ask her out. Just leave me out of it."

"It was you're idea," Steve argued.

"What are you, thirteen?" Danny countered as he hopped out of the car, a carefully hidden grin across his face. Flustered, Steve shook his head to clear it before stepping out of the car.

"What?" Kono asked, smiling in response to Danny's triumphant fist pump. Chin stepped onto the curb behind her.

"Score one for Danno," was Danny's quick and only explanation. Steve exited the car and joined them in their walk to the front door of the Federal Building.

By the time they reached Lori's office, Steve had his swagger back. He stood to his full height, chest out, intensity off the scale. He intended on getting the full story from Lori right down to the last detail. Whatever else he got from her was bonus. Lori waited for them in the war room where photos, profiles, stacks of files, and tons of speculation had been gathered and somewhat organized. She welcomed a fresh perspective. It would be nice to see Chin and Kono again, too. "_You can do this_," she reminded herself. "_It'll be fun working with the team again."_

**A/N: There you have it... a fresh start! Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think. Good start?**

**Ren**


	2. Chapter 2: MO

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay. This case has a lot of detail and I don't want to make any mistakes. Thanks for reading!**

Kono's phone rang on the way into the Federal Building. "Kono... Yes..." She snapped her fingers at Danny and motioned for pen and paper. "Blue Tag Auto Parts... Ocean Industry Properties... Got it, thanks Matt."

The team looked at her expectantly. "That was Matt Yumi at HPD. The warehouse was rented by Blue Tag Auto Parts, an internet wholesale company. They had the warehouse for three years, but recently went out of business, three months ago, to be exact. The warehouse is owned by an industrial properties leasing company. They have an office here in town."

"Alright, you two check it out. See if you can find out who ran the auto parts company and get an employee list. Let me know what you come up with."

"Will do." Chin and Kono headed back toward the front door. "Oh, hey Boss!"

Steve turned to see a grinning Kono walking backwards next Chin. "Tell Lori I said 'hello,'"

Steve frowned, surprised by the wink that Kono shot him before she disappeared through the front door. He glanced at Danny who bounced on his toes with a very goofy grin splashed across his face.

"Shut up," Steve quipped and walked quickly toward the elevator.

Up on the eighth floor, Steve and Danny found Lori's office door closed with a note taped to it. "Conference Room C and an arrow pointing to the left.

Conference Room C was set up much like FiveO. There was a large smart board on one side of the room and multiple flat screens adorning the wall above it. On the other side of the room, the set up was a bit more old fashioned. There was a large rectangular table lined with stacks of folders and case files neatly organized in piles. That's where they found Lori. She had her back to the door and didn't hear the two men enter the room. She was leaning on one hip, studying a fully crammed dry erase board, arms crossed over her chest. She tucked her chin to stretch her neck and then rolled her head first to the left and then to the right. She sighed deeply.

"Rough morning?" Steve asked.

Lori jumped at the intrusion. Turning, she found Steve and froze. For the briefest of moments, tension blanketed the air. Unlike a year and a half ago, however, Lori willed herself to hold his gaze. His eyes flicked to her lips and back. Ignoring the flutter in her gut, she blinked and reminded herself not to travel down that road again. "Sorry, I didn't hear you guys come in. Did you find it okay?"

"Yes," Danny said, amused by what he had just witnessed. "I like your set up here."

"You should," she smiled. "It's modeled after FiveO. This section over here is all Agent Amari's doing. He's a bit old school, but it's growing on me."

"What can you tell us about our perp," Steve asked, all business.

"Well, I'll tell you what I know. Best we can tell, this all started a little over two years ago in northern Pennsylvania. Six women were killed over a six month period. Same MO," she said as she tossed twelve photographs from the smart board to the monitors. There was a before photo and a crime scene photo for each victim. "Authorities found absolutely no connection between the girls, no trace evidence, nothing. Then, the murders abruptly stopped. Six months later, the same MO turned up in central Kentucky. Again, six women murdered over six months. Two of the victims knew each other, but that was the only connection. The third batch occurred in central Texas. So basically he's moved in a straight shot down and across the map toward Hawaii. That's why the Bureau sent us the heads up four months ago. He seems to... prepare for six months and then strike over the following six months."

"What about the victims?"

"All females ranging in age from twenty-four to twenty-nine. They're all thin, athletic, and blond. We find them dead in evening attire, wearing heavy makeup and cheap jewelry. Every one of the victims exhibits the same pattern of torture. He starts at the feet and works his way up. He leaves a small cactus brand burned into the hairline on the right side. I have no idea what that's about. I do know he's patient and meticulous. He tortures them for ten to fourteen days. That's a long time. No sexual assault. Their bodies are wiped clean with bleach and dumped in an area of high traffic. In every case, the cause of death was manual strangulation. They've all been found on the second Saturday of the month."

"Do you have a working profile?"

"They didn't send me much, the usual really. He's probably not a guy that gets noticed... quiet, observant. He's extremely organized, to the point of being obsessive / compulsive. Nothing unusual in the profile that I received. What's weird is that he doesn't seem to keep any trophies... unless, of course, they're subtle and we've missed them." She drifted into thought, surveying the photos in front of her, pondering her developing profile.

"That's it?" Steve asked.

Lori spun towards him, temper flaring. "I said they didn't send me much. But, I've been working on this nonstop for two months now. I have a few ideas of my own."

"Let's hear 'em," Steve challenged.

"Please," Danny added.

Lori paused, eyebrow arched and surveyed the two men in front of her. "I need to grab something from my office. I'll be right back."

Danny stepped back giving Lori plenty of room to pass. Steve on the other hand, leaned back on planted feet, forcing Lori to squeeze past. He watched her intently as she moved around him.

"What was that?" Danny asked incredulously.

"What?" Steve barked.

"That," Danny answered as he waved his hand wildly in the air.

"No idea what you're talking about."

Danny squinted, an idea forming in his head. "Oh, I get it. I see what that was about."

"Do tell."

"She didn't melt when she saw you. You know, fall all over you like most women do. You're afraid you've lost your mojo."

"That's the stupidest thing you've ever said, and that's saying a lot if you get my meaning"

Danny grinned, amused by Steve's diversion.

"Okay, so maybe you haven't lost your mojo, but clearly she pushed you're buttons. She admitted she had a thing for you before, so you expected, what? Her to go all googly eyed when she saw you?"

"Googly eyed? What does that even mean?"

"There it is."

"What?"

"Aneurysm face."

"Do you know why I make this face, Danny? I make this face because I'm annoyed. You're the only one that knows this face, because you're the only one that annoys me this much."

"You're annoyed because you know I'm right."

"No, I'm..."

"Sorry about that," Lori said as she came around the corner. They both turned to face her and she stopped, frowning. "What's wrong? Why the aneurysm face?"

Danny snorted, unable to contain his laughter. He covered his mouth with his fist, trying very hard to stifle his amusement.

"You two plan that?" Steve asked, face a little flushed. "Could we get back to what's important here?"

Confused, Lori let it go and crossed the room, tablet in hand, and stationed herself at the smart board. "This is what I've come up with so far". She pointed to the pictures on the monitor. "These six were killed in Scranton, Pennsylvania, population 76,000. Two of the six were waitresses, one was a bartender, one was a full time nursing student, worked part-time at a diner, and the other two were in retail. No apparent connection. They didn't run in the same circles nor did they frequent the same places. I pulled credit card receipts dating back six months before the murders began. One thing popped. They all had their cars serviced at the same place within three months of each other. It was one of those quick lube places, so employee turnover is a problem; I have ninety employees to run down over that six month period"

"The warehouse here was run by an Internet auto parts company," Steve commented, intrigued.

"I know. It fits with what I found on the Kentucky murders, too". She paused and threw six new pictures up onto the monitor.

"Wait, you know about the warehouse," Steve spat.

"What?"

"I said it was owned by an Internet auto parts company, and you said you knew."

"Agent Jenkins told me, right before you got here," she said wondering why Steve was so upset.

"Were you going to share that information," Steve asked, accusingly.

"I just did," she said temper rising to match his, wondering where Steve's attitude was coming from. "May I continue?"

"Please do," Danny offered in a friendly tone. He cut his eyes at Steve, warning him to settle down.

"These six victims were found in Louisville, Kentucky, population 500,000, same MO, no connection outside of their deaths. On a hunch, I ran credit cards looking specifically for auto related bills and found one. Rebecca Lynch had her Ford Taurus worked on at a local Ford dealership. From there, I ran Ford credit histories. Three hits". She pointed to three of the photos on the monitor, one at a time. "This one, this one, and this one all purchased used, high mileage, low cost Fords over a four month period from the same dealership. It's the last two victims that I can't connect."

"Did you get a list of employees," Steve asked in a much nicer tone.

"Yes, but I haven't had time to compare the lists."

"What about the last six?"

"These six," she said and threw six new photos onto the monitor. "These six were killed in San Antonio. I just got their credit card histories, so far no connections, nothing obvious anyway. I'll get you copies if you like."

"So what's your take on this guy," Danny asked.

"Well," she began, just as Steve's phone rang.

"It's Chin," he said. "Yeah, Chin... I'll take care of it. Listen, Lori's gonna' send you a list of names". He cut his eyes her way; she nodded and started typing away on the smart board. "I need to put faces with those names. See if names or faces cross in any way. Let me know... Thanks Chin". Steve pocketed his phone and crossed his arms over his chest. "You're friend Jenkins is an ass."

Lori looked up from the board. "You have no idea." Something unreadable flashed in her expression. It was there in her voice too. She knew Steve saw it, even if he didn't understand it. "What did he do this time?"

"He played the fed card and refused to let Chin and Kono near the warehouse rental company."

"I'll talk to Agent Amari... And I'll make sure you get whatever information they garnered... Oh, I almost forgot. The dress our vic from this morning was wearing was made by a local designer, "Puanani Designs". The island rich and famous wear her dresses to local charity events. Maybe you can do something with that."

"We'll check it out." Steve offered and smacked Danny on the arm. "Ready?"

Danny nodded. "Thanks, Lori"

She smiled at Danny fondly and nodded.

She watched them head toward the conference room door. Before she could stop herself, she called to Steve. "Steve, could I talk to you for a minute?"

He looked at Danny. "I'll meet you in the car." Wordlessly he waited for Lori to continue.

"What's bothering you? And don't say 'nothing' because I know you better than that."

Steve hesitated and drew in a deep breath. "I don't like sharing my investigations. I need to know that I've got full cooperation from the Bureau."

"Well, I've shared everything that I know with you so far," she said very matter-of-factly. "And, I can promise you that when I learn something new, I'll let you know ASAP."

"I trust _you_, Lori. It's the rest of your team that I have a problem with."

"Agent Amari is a good man. I can assure you that his sole objective is catching this guy. Like you, getting credit for the snag is the last thing on his mind. He'll take all the help he can get on this."

"And Jenkins?"

"Agent Jenkins is a jerk, no argument there, but he's a good agent. Amari keeps him on a short leash. I don't think he'll be a problem."

Steve surveyed Lori. She had visibly tensed at the mention of Jenkins's name. He wondered again what the story was there. "You'll be here later?" Steve asked.

"Likely," she answered, smiling warily. He returned her smile and again held her eyes a moment longer than was strictly necessary. She felt the heat rise in her cheeks and prayed he didn't notice.

Steve cleared his throat. "We'll run down this lead and I'll let you know what we find."

**A/N: So not a lot of action, yet. Just setting the stage. Thanks for reading! Leave a review on the way out if you don't mind. I've never written a fic so heavy on the "case" before. Would love to know what you think. **

**Ren**


	3. Chapter 3: Sacrafice

**A/N: Thanks to those who have taken the time to review. I would love to know what you think. Hope you enjoy**

**Chapter 3: Sacrifice**

"Your little FiveO friends showed up at the rental office."

"And?"

"And I sent them packing. This collar belongs to the bureau. You should try and remember that, princess," he said as he reached for a loose strand of her hair. She slapped his hand away, hard. He laughed quietly as if they had just shared a private joke. Agent Amari joined them in the war room.

"Anything new," he asked.

"Where have you been?"

"Some of us have a life, Jenkins. I had dinner with my wife. If you ever dated a girl for more than forty-eight hours, you would know what it's like to really live."

"That's sweet, Amari. How long have you two been married," Lori asked.

"Twenty-six years this May."

"We've been partners for two years now, how come I've never met her?"

"Because I don't want her to worry about me at work," he said with a grin.

"Do you have any children," Lori asked, wondering why she had never asked before.

"We have a son. He lives on the mainland."

"What did you two find out about the warehouse?"

"Got the name of the auto parts owner," Jenkins answered. "He lives on Oahu now. I called him. Only twelve employees. He still has names and addresses. We'll head over tomorrow, get the list".

"What about you, anything new", Amari asked.

"Not yet. I've been going through credit card receipts from our three new victims."

"Any hits?"

"Nothing so far."

"Why don't you call it a night. Eat! Get some rest."

Lori smiled sadly.

"What is it?"

"He's gonna' be desperate. Losing this last victim puts him behind."

"Maybe he'll do something stupid," Jenkins said, "make a mistake and we'll nail his ass... Don't worry, babe. We'll get him."

"Don't call me babe," she snapped.

"Oh, come on Weston. Lighten up."

"Don't call me babe," she said again in a deadly serious tone.

"Sure thing, sweetheart," he said as he turned to leave.

"You okay," Amari asked when the door closed behind Jenkins.

"Fine," she said and forced a smile. "Just tired I guess."

"Go home. Get some sleep. We'll start again in the morning."

On the way home, Lori's phone rang. Butterflies stirred in her gut as she read the name on the screen. "Hello"

"Hey, it's Steve. Are you still at your office?"

"No, I just left. Did you need something?"

"Yeah, I need something to eat. You hungry?"

She hesitated.

"Are you there... Lori?"

"Yeah, I'm here. You cut out."

"You want to meet me for dinner," he repeated.

"Sure. Where are you?"

"Three blocks from FiveO."

"Feel like Lulu's?" she asked.

"Always. I'll meet you in ten"

**H5O**

**H5OH5O**

**H5OH5OH5O**

He watched from his car as they came and went. Sweat poured from every pore. He swiped at his brow and buried the heel of his hand in his right eye. The pounding over that eye was relentless. How was anyone supposed to think under so much pressure? He gripped the steering wheel, begging for relief. All color had drained from his knuckles hours ago. Watching... Waiting... Waiting... Watching... Too short... Too big... Too loud... Too... Too... He leaned forward, resting his forehead on the steering wheel and cried out in agony. He covered his mouth with both hands and screamed again. Rocking forward and backward he felt like he might explode. He ran his hands through hair and pulled it hard at the crown, squeezing his eyes tightly shut against the pain. He opened his eyes and focused on the crowd gathered outside of the row of bars, dance clubs, and hang outs. That's when he saw them. Surely it was a gift. They were perfect, and they were together. He had never grabbed two at once. But how hard could it be. They never fought. They somehow understood that the sacrifice, their sacrifice was necessary, an honor really. Atonement isn't free. Sacrifice is a requirement. Without penance, there can be no peace. He reached for his tackle box, loaded two syringes and tucked one in each jacket pocket. With tears streaming down his face, he exited the car resolved and ready to complete the task at hand.

**H5O**

**H5OH5O**

**H5OH5OH5O**

Steve smiled when he saw her. It was warm and inviting, and "_dangerous_," Lori chided herself. He stood on the sidewalk, hands in his pockets, perfectly balanced. She walked slowly toward him, drinking him in. "You look tired."

"That's what a girl likes to hear," she quipped.

Steve chuckled. "Beautiful, but tired."

"You're a terrible liar."

"It's good to see you," he said and quickly ran his hands down her arms. Although she smiled warmly, he felt her shoulders tighten under his touch. He stepped back and motioned her toward the door.

They settled on opposite sides of the booth. Lori slouched back in her seat. "You okay?" Steve asked.

"A lot on my brain, I suppose... Did you find anything today?"

"Maybe. The shop owner recognized the dress. Apparently every dress is custom made. She gave me a name and we tracked down the original owner, but she sent the dress along with several other dresses to a resale shop downtown."

"Anything there?"

He shook his head. "It was closed by the time we got there. I'll have Kono check it out tomorrow. Maybe he bought all of the dresses at once. Somebody might remember something like that."

"Worth a shot."

"What about you? Anything new?"

"Should have an employee list from the auto parts warehouse tomorrow. Jenkins said the owner moved to Oahu. He talked to him on the phone. Only twelve employees."

"Jenkins… that guy's a piece of work."

Lori nodded in wordless agreement and quickly changed the subject. "Did Kono come up with anything?"

Steve frowned at the 180, but let it ride for now. "There were a lot of names on those lists. It's gonna' take some time putting faces to all those names."

"Well if anybody can sort through all of that and get it done, it's Kono. I saw her a couple of months go at the beach. She was surfing". Lori sat her glass back on the table and lifted her hands in mock surrender. "She's amazing!"

Steve smiled at Lori's animation. She had been quiet when she worked at FiveO... intense, but when inspired, he remembered, her eyes would dance and her hands would fly, echoing that intensity. "Yeah, she's good. The only thing that frustrates her on a board is Danny."

"She still trying to teach him how to surf?"

"More like he's still trying to learn."

They both laughed, but it was quiet and short- lived. She was nervous, her body radiating tension. Ignoring the two ton elephant in the room, Steve pressed on.

"So how long have you been back on the island?"

She hesitated and arched an eyebrow. "I never left," she said quietly.

"What?" Steve jerked. "I thought you were going back east?"

"That was the plan, but, let's just say that, when the governor filed his official reprimand, my future with Homeland Security wasn't quite as bright as it had been."

"You lost your job?" he said, shocked.

"Oh, it all worked out," she said trying to make light of what had been a pretty rough time. Steve knew better. He could see it in her eyes.

"I don't understand. What the hell was he so mad at you for?"

"It's not important."

"It's important to me," he persisted.

She sighed, knowing he wouldn't let it go. "I told the governor that you were under the impression that FiveO had the go ahead from his office to raid the Russian consulate."

Steve's brow furrowed. "You told him the raid was your idea?"

"No… I told him that you thought you had his permission." She sat across from him, eyes wide, waiting for him to understand.

"You took the fall for FiveO," he said quietly, as the truth sank in. "I should have known when the governor didn't call me out... Why would you do that?"

"The governor needed someone to blame... officially. My resignation gave him that."

"But..."

"Look, it was my decision. I believed in what you and your team were doing. Shutting you down would have been a huge mistake. I don't regret it," she said sweeping her hand across the empty space over the table.

"I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say anything. It's done. Besides, I like my new job. Better use of my skills anyway."

"So, how did you end up back at the bureau?"

"I called in a favor," she said with a wink as the waitress delivered their plates. Steve watched Lori tear into an extra large hamburger, fully dressed accompanied by a large side of fries. He had forgotten how much she could eat.

**H5O**

**H5OH5O**

**H5OH5OH5O**

He moved quickly up the sidewalk, hands in his jacket pockets. His heart felt like it might fly out of his chest. The pain over his right eye threatened to knock him over. It would get better. Once he had them in his possession, the pain would go away. It always did. One of them slipped on the slick sidewalk. They both giggled, holding on to each other as the one removed her stilettos. Their laughter pierced his sole causing him to gag as a wave on nausea brought him to his knees. They heard him and glanced back, laughing even harder. Laughing at him. Rage flared in his gut, calming the nausea and forcing him to his feet. He trotted after them, gaining speed as he closed in on his prey. He slammed the first one, face first, into the brick building as they rounded the corner to the darkened parking lot. Her head hit the wall hard, with a loud crack. "_Damn it_," he thought, "_not the face_". He grabbed the second from behind, his arm encircling her neck as he deftly removed the syringe from his pocket. In one perfected motion, he slid the needle into her neck, right side, at the hairline. He prayed it was painless as her grip loosened and her hands slipped to her sides. He drew in a long breath and buried his face in her hair. Movement caught his attention. The first girl was on her feet, blood spewing from her broken nose. Her eyes were wild as she faced him, barefooted and trapped. Somehow she had managed to hold on to her shoes. She gripped them fiercely, one in each hand. Wordlessly, he rushed her, shoving her back against the wall and held her there with his forearm taunt across her neck. He fumbled for the second syringe, unaccustomed to using his left hand. His fumbling afforded her the precious few seconds she needed to bury the heel of her shoe in his ear. He dropped his arm from her neck as his vision blurred, and grabbed his head. The constant ache that plagued his right eye disappeared under white hot stabs of pain from the left. He went to his knees when her bare foot connected with his groin. Falling forward to his hands, he tasted iron as blood ran from his ear and across his cheek to his mouth. He new she would be screaming for help, but all he could hear was a sharp ringing as it pierced his brain. He crawled toward the motionless heap on the ground next to him. Pulling her over his shoulder, he struggled to stand. Stumbling forward, he disappeared into the shadows.

**TBC**

**So not many reviews, but I'm gonna' keep plugging along. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4: Stupid, Stupid Girl!

**Chapter 4: Stupid, Stupid Girl!**

It was late, very late. Steve could see she was bone tired. "You need to get home and get some sleep."

"Um," was all she could manage.

He walked Lori to her SUV. "So, I'll let you know what we find out on the dresses," he said catching her door as she slipped in behind it.

She nodded and smiled, eyeing him over the door that separated them. He leaned closer, bending his elbows, supporting himself with taut muscles against the divide. Lori tensed. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said on a breath and slid into the driver's seat. She pulled on the door, but it didn't move. Steve held on forcing her to look at him one more time.

"See you tomorrow," he promised and pushed her door closed. She watched him through the window as he backed away. The corner of his lip up turned in a seductive half smile. She shuttered and blew out a hard breath, hoping the tinted window hid the effect that smile had on her.

**H5O**

Lori slapped at her alarm clock, but the ringing didn't stop. She slapped at it again, slowly realizing that the offending noise was coming from her phone and not her clock. "Weston," she said, her voice thick with sleep.

"Hey sleepy head."

"Steve? What time is it?"

"5:26A.M.," he said precisely.

"That's very annoying at 5:26A.M. What do you want?" she said good humouredly.

"I'm headed to a crime scene. Two girls were attacked last night. One got away. They're both blond, mid twenties. The perp used a syringe to nab the first one. Came after the second with another syringe. I thought it was worth checking out."

"Yeah, I'll be right there. Address?"

Lori sat up in bed and squinted at the rising sun. She padded to the bathroom and grabbed a quick shower. Forgoing makeup, she stored a pony tail holder on her wrist and hopped down the steps to her truck. It was a twenty minute drive to the "club district". In her two years on the island, she had never been to one of the local clubs. She had spent her first six months working at FiveO, hanging out with Max, and, as long as she was being honest, pining over Steve. She had spent the next year and a half getting over Steve, getting physically strong, and working hard at the Bureau. Still, she wondered as the dance clubs and karaoke bars came into view, how had she not managed one night out clubbing. Probably because, although she wasn't old in physical years, she had always had an old sole opting for nights under the stars rather than under the strobe lights. She spotted Steve's truck parked next to Danny's Camaro and pulled in to a spot at the far end of a parking lot. She stretched before exiting the SUV, needing something besides the hot tea in her hand to wake her up. As if on cue, a brisk gust of wind caught her hair as she stepped from the truck. She gathered it in her hands and headed for the team, pulling it into a messy bunch at the back of her head. Steve watched her as she made her way toward Kono and Danny. He remembered the first time they met, in the governor's office. He had noticed her then. How could he not? Those long legs and sharp green eyes were startling. But once she had been assigned to FiveO, a relationship of any kind was off the table. He had simply shoved any desire he might have had for her to the back of his cluttered mind. It wasn't until she said goodbye that a flood of memories like snapshots flashed across his brain. He had found it nearly impossible to breathe as he stood in his office, holding her close for the first and last time. He wondered how those moments had passed so completely unnoticed as they were happening. He told her that he would miss her, but he hadn't realized at the time, just how much that would be.

"Hey sister!" Kono said and pulled Lori into a hug. "Good to see you."

"You too, Kono. I wish it was under better circumstances, though."

"No doubt. You think this is related?"

"Maybe. He's likely desperate enough to try and grab two at once. Steve said he used a syringe?"

"Yeah. It happened over here," Kono said and walked toward a brick building at the corner of the parking lot.

Lori slipped on a pair of black latex gloves and followed Kono and Danny. "There isn't much physical evidence. A few drops of blood, but they were contaminated by foot traffic. HPD took the girl's statement at the hospital. She gave them a pretty good description."

Lori listened as Kono gave her the second hand account of the attack. She looked at the wall where the blood from the survivor's broken nose was splattered. Everything around her faded as she visualized the attack. Her head turned slowly to the two yellow tags on the asphalt where drops of blood lay disintegrating in the early morning sun. She squatted down in front of the tags, thinking about the man who did this. Was it him? A cold chill ran down her spine and she turned her head quickly away from the crime scene as if someone had called her name from across the street. She immediately spotted a black Ford Taurus parked on the opposite side of the street one block from the parking lot. She stood without a word and started toward it. Danny and Kono glanced at each other as Lori's pace increased first to a trot and then to a run. The faded black Taurus pulled slowly onto the main road and stopped. Lori stopped too in the middle of the road, shielding her eyes from the rising sun, the glare obstructing her view of the driver. Without warning, the engine revved and the tires squealed. Lori dropped her hands from her eyes and froze caught in a deadly game of chicken. The Taurus lurched forward, finding its grip on the pavement, and sped toward her, alone in the middle of the street. As quickly as the game began, it ended when the Taurus made a sudden u-turn sending smoke and rock flying toward Lori. She turned away instinctively bending at the waist, crouching down in safety. Through squinted eyes, she saw Steve leap and deftly across the hood of a parked car, landing on his feet in one fluid movement. She saw rather than heard her name fly from his lips as he continued his charge toward her. He slid to a stop next to her as she rose to her feet and caught his arms. "It's him!" she screamed.

"Are you okay?" he asked, frowning, his faced clouded with concern.

She gripped his arm, willing him to understand. "That was him. He was watching."

Steve turned his head and shouted to Kono who was running toward them, Danny close behind. "That's our suspect. Call it in. See if HPD can grab him."

Steve turned back to Lori who was staring down the road where the Taurus had disappeared. She had both hands over her eyes. "Damn it!" she yelled to no one in particular. Steve saw the anguish on her face as she circled in frustration. "That was him. I should have expected him to be here." She stopped suddenly and looked at Steve, her eyes wide. "Make sure the girl stays in protective custody. He'll want her back. He may get information from the one he grabbed and come after her again."

"Got it," Danny said and started dialing numbers on his phone.

"You scared the hell out of me! What were you thinking running after that guy by yourself!"

She shook her head. "I don't know. I was looking over the crime scene and I got a feeling. You know, that feeling like your being watched. I turned around and that's when I saw the car. I knew it was him. I can't explain it. I just knew it was him."

Steve watched her hands as they flew around wildly before coming to rest, palms down on top of her head. She blew out a frustrated breath and dropped her hands to her sides. Steve reached for her arms, without thought, and pulled her to him. She knew everyone would be watching, but she didn't care. She knew it was wrong to enjoy the feel of his touch in this place, at this moment, but she was too tired to fight it. She would allow herself this one, fleeting moment of weakness. What she could have never guessed was how much Steve needed that moment too. Watching her cross the parking lot, headed for the Taurus, Steve had been hit with an overwhelming feeling of dread that didn't disappear with the faded black vehicle.

**H5O**

She woke on a dusty mattress, hands bound with duct tape in front of her, feet bound at the ankles. There was tape over her mouth, too which made it difficult to breath. Her head throbbed and her neck was sore. She was on her side, against the wall. Bile rose in her throat as the gravity of her situation settled like a bolder in her gut. From her position on the mattress on the floor, she could see under the bed in front of her, straight across to an open door. Through the door was a narrow, dimly lit hallway. She rolled onto her back and could see that the window above her had been spray painted over save one small spot in the corner, just big enough to see through with one eye. The only light in the room came from the open door. With effort, she rocked herself up onto her knees and searched the room. She let go of a soundless scream when she saw him watching her from the bed. He was fully dressed, lying on his side, both hands tucked under his cheek. He smiled at her sweetly, the way a parent smiles at a child when he or she makes a new and simple discovery. "Hi," he said without moving. "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you. I've been watching you sleep."

Terror washed over her face. It pained him to see it. He didn't want to hurt her. He didn't want to hurt any of them. Why couldn't they understand that? He thought about Rachel and her long, silky blond hair. It had reminded him of honey. And oh the way she smelled, like fresh cotton and lavender, so clean, so inviting. She was perfect, and he had loved her right up until the moment she had betrayed him. Even then, he thought. He still loved her. Deep down he knew these girls could never take her place, not really. For six glorious months he had felt complete. She had been so kind to him, so grateful for his attention. He had watched her with her friends walking back and forth to class, throwing the Frisbee around at the quad, meeting at Remo's on spaghetti night each week. He had understood that their time together transcended what was common place; that it was for them and them alone. No one else needed to know how she smiled at him from across the table. How the numbers he loved almost as much as he loved her came alive when they were together. How could she have thrown that all away? "Stupid, stupid girl!" he said aloud. He sniffed, focusing again on his new friend. "You must be thirsty after such a long sleep. I'll get you some water and we'll get to know each other a little better." Kerrie closed her eyes and fell back on her heals as silent tears rolled, one after the other, down her cheeks.

**H5O**

She was so unbelievably tired when they reached the safe house. Morgan Turner sat curled up in the corner of the couch clutching a pillow securely to her. She was staring across the room and out of the window at nothing.

"Morgan?" Lori began. The young woman's eyelids fluttered but she continued to look toward the window.

"Morgan, I'm Special Agent Lori Weston. This is my friend, Steve McGarrett. He's with Five-O."

Curious, she turned her attention to the pair. "Five-O?"

"Five-O is a task force, based here in Honolulu. They're gonna' help me find the man that did this to you and your friend."

The young woman's eyes jumped to Steve's. He gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. She looked back to Lori. "Her name is Kerrie, Kerrie Leskosky. She's my best friend." Morgan looked back to the window, her lower lip quivering.

"You were very brave, fighting back the way you did. I read the report a few minutes ago," Lori said as she sat down on the coffee table in front of the couch.

"I should have stayed with Kerrie," the young woman lamented, her voice flat with sadness and regret.

"No," Lori responded. "Going for help was the right thing to do. If you had stayed with Kerrie, it's likely you both would have been taken and we would have no way of finding either one of you."

Morgan slowly drew her eyes from the window and found Lori's sitting across from her. "You have to find her... Please find her."

"Morgan, you gave the police officer a very detailed description of the man that attacked you. That will be extremely helpful in finding him _and_ Kerrie. I just need to ask you a few more questions, if you're up to it?"

She nodded.

"You said that he grabbed Kerrie from behind?"

"Yes, he threw me against the wall so I didn't see him grab her, but when I turned around he was behind her with his arm around her neck." Morgan drew in a ragged breath and swiped at one mutinous tear.

"Morgan, could you show me?"

She flinched, reluctant to relive the attack in such physical detail, but willing to do whatever she had to, to help her friend. She and Lori stood together. Steve was struck by their similarities. They were approximately the same height and weight, both built like runners, light complected and blond. "My vision was a little blurry from where I hit the wall, but when I turned around I saw him holding her like this". She lifted her left arm and pretended to hold it tightly around an invisible victim.

"Steve, could you?" Lori asked. Understanding her silent cue, he moved behind her and gently wrapped his left arm around her neck. "Like this?" she asked.

Morgan studied the two of them in front of her. A curious look crossed her face. "No, not exactly... May I," she asked and stepped toward the two of them. "He pushed her head over like this," she said positioning Steve's hand so that Lori's head bent to the left. "He had his fingers out straight like this," she said and pushed the back of his open hand against Lori' cheek. She laughed, but there was no humor behind it. "I remember thinking that he was going to bite her neck, like a vampire. Then I saw the syringe. He pulled it out of his jacket pocket and jammed it into her neck."

"Can you show us where on her neck," Lori asked from behind Steve's hand.

Morgan pointed to Lori's hairline. "It was high in the strap muscle. He used a 3cc syringe, but there was only an ml or so of liquid loaded in the syringe. I'm a nurse, I could tell by the push". Steve relaxed his hold on Lori's neck but he didn't step away. He felt an unconscious need to be near her, to protect her. "I've never seen anyone drop as quickly as Kerrie did. It was almost immediate. What drug does that?"

Lori shook her head. "I don't know, but I have a friend at the ME's office who can figure it out". Morgan looked as if she might collapse where she stood. "Here, why don't you sit back down, we just have a few more questions, okay?"

Morgan nodded and returned to the couch. Lori sat down next to her and Steve took her spot on the coffee table.

"Morgan," he began, "what happened next?"

She hesitated, gathering her thoughts. "He came after me, head on, and pushed me against the wall. He had crazy eyes. I've never seen eyes like that before. He started digging for something in his left pocket, another syringe I assume. That's when I hit him with my shoe. He grabbed his head and I kicked him as hard as I could, right in his numbers. He went down and I ran for help."

Steve was impressed by her strength. Although she shook from head to toe, her resolve never wavered.

"Morgan, you said that he had crazy eyes. Were they bloodshot from something like lack of sleep or drugs," Lori asked.

"No... I mean yes, they were bloodshot, like he had been crying. But it was the color that was crazy. His pupils were dilated, but around his pupils, his eyes were amber, almost yellow gold with a few streaks of color... blue maybe. I don't know. It was pretty dark."

"Thank you, Morgan. You've been very helpful. If you think of anything else, or if you just need to talk, you call me, okay? Here's my card."

Taking the card with a trembling hand, Morgan thanked them both and pulled the pillow back into a tight hold. Steve and Lori headed back to the parking lot.

"Let's go see Max. See if he has any idea what our guy may be loading his syringes with."

"Yes, Mam."

Lori stopped short and glared at Steve. "What?" he chuckled. "You look good in charge."

"Yeah I do," she said grinning. "Hop in. I'm driving."

**TBC**

**More soon! Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think, would 'ya?**


	5. Chapter 5:  Its All in the Name

**A/N: Thank you to those who are reading and reviewing. This is the most complicated fic that I have ever written, but I am enjoying it. Hope you are enjoying reading it, too!**

**Chpt 5: It's All in the Name**

"Hey, Max," Lori said to the top of Max's head.

"Ah, hello Agent Weston," he responded without looking up. "Who do you have with you today?"

"It's me Max."

"Hello, Commander McGarrett," he said with his head still bent over a tray covered with small particles or insects, or what it was exactly, Steve couldn't guess.

"What 'ya got there Max?"

"Oh," he said and looked at the two of them from behind a head piece much like that of a miner's head lamp only this particular contraption housed no light. Instead, it held two magnifying glasses, one over each of Max's eyes which made them look like they were twelve sizes too big for his head. "These particular larvae are called _Chrysomya_ _megacephala._"

"The blowfly,' Lori said, pleased with herself for remembering.

"Yes, the blowfly. They indicate that Mr. Melvin Pritchard there," he said pointing to a body lying on the opposite side of a clear window, "died approximately three days ago and was left undiscovered until said neighbor's dog, a Mister Whiskers, found him on a morning walk". He blinked twice behind his magnifying glasses giving him the appearance of an oversized and curious fly.

"Could you take those things off, Max? Please. I'm afraid you're gonna' sprout wings and fly away like Jeff Goldblum."

"Ah, you are referring to 'The Fly', a remake of the classic 1958 film of the same title. I can assure you Commander McGarrett that, while quantum physics theorizes that matter can in deed be transferred through space, a telepod such as Dr. Brundle's does, in fact, not exist. There are significant theoretical holes in its design. Furthermore, the science of DNA hybrid technology is such that metaphysical transport and DNA cross match would likely leave both objects, or human and insect in this case, immediately and cataclysmically in permanent disarray. So you see, the union of these two scientific disciplines could never exist with any conceivable stability."

"Still, Max," Steve said pointing to the contraption on Max's head "the big eyes and all... you're freaking me out"

"Right," he said and removed the head loops. "What can I help you with today?"

"A girl was abducted in the night club district last night. Her friend saw it happen. He used a needle and syringe to knock her out. The friend said the effect was immediate. Any idea what might have been in that syringe?"

"Hmm. My best guess would be an injectable anesthetic if the effect was that immediate. Most likely a dissociative anesthetic such as Ketamine or Tiletamine. Delivery in the muscle at a high enough dose would create a mind out of body experience much like PCP. The victim's body would go immediately limp from the dissociative effect."

"Would one ml be enough for someone my size," Lori asked.

"One ml would be enough for someone his size," Max said nodding toward Steve.

"Ketamine is the date rape drug, special K. It's a powder. Most perp's drop it in the victims drink," Steve questioned

"You are correct. There is, however, an injectable form used in pediatric medicine as an anesthetic induction agent. The same form is used most commonly in veterinary medicine."

"Veterinary medicine," Lori wondered allowed. "Thanks Max, I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Yes, tomorrow night, and good day to you, Commander."

Steve was quiet on their way out. He didn't speak until they reached her SUV. "What's tomorrow night?"

"Tomorrow night?" Lori questioned.

"Max said he would see you tomorrow night."

"Oh, it's movie night. Once or twice a month, a few of us get together at Max's and watch a movie. We bring the drinks and Max makes unbelievably delicious snacks. They all have names that I can't pronounce, but they are delicious none the less. It's fun."

"You go by yourself?"

"Usually... Why, do you want to come with me? I think we're watching "Aliens" tomorrow night, one of the best movies ever by the way."

"Yeah, I'll come. I don't have to dress like an alien do I?"

"Not this time," she teased and was rewarded with a stop-your-heart grin from Steve. A quiet moment passed before Steve's phone interrupted the surprisingly comfortable silence.

"Yeah, Danny, what's up?"

Lori half listened to the one sided conversation. Mostly she thought about her plans for the next evening. Now that they included Steve, there was more to consider, things like a shower and a little makeup.

"Danny said the consignment shop owner remembers a guy, mid twenties, coming in several months ago looking for evening dresses in sizes 0, 2, and 4. He bought everything they had at the time. Paid in cash. She said he turned up twice more and cleaned them out, both times."

"Description?"

"That's where it gets interesting. Owner remembered his eyes. One was bluish green and the other was brownish yellow. Other than that, it was the purchases that stood out, not him."

"So our perps are one in the same," Lori said.

"Looks like it."

"After I drop you off, I'm gonna' look for B&E's in veterinary clinics around the time of the first murders. It's a long shot, but, who knows, we might get lucky. Goodness knows we're due for a little luck."

"I'll talk to Kono and see if she has anything on those names you sent. Chin was gonna' talk to the auto parts owner this morning and see if anything pops there. I'll let you know."

"I have to tell Agent Amari about all of this. He's the agent in charge."

"I know."

"Are you okay with that?"

"Yeah, I'm okay with that. I like Amari. He seems like a good guy."

"He is. He was good to me when I first joined the Bureau here in Honolulu."

Sensing that maybe her transition back into the Bureau was less than smooth, Steve debated on whether or not to press the issue. His natural curiosity coupled with his investigative instincts got the best of him. "What happened," he asked his voice husky, deep with concern.

Lori glanced at him before quickly training her eyes back on the road. "I wasn't in a very good place when I started working at the bureau. I had just left Five-O. I had an official reprimand in my jacket and my heart on my sleeve. Amari and Jenkins were a relatively new team. I guess they had been together for six or eight months or so at the time. Every team at the bureau has an internal task force that they work with, their support crew of sorts. Amari and Jenkins didn't have a full team yet so I was assigned to them. Our first case was a kidnapping case... three little girls. The hours were long and we were all exhausted. Jenkins paid a lot of extra attention to me. I thought it was sweet at first, but then it got to be too much. Amari saw what was happening and kept Jenkins busy with tasks that didn't involve me. He never said anything, but I knew what he was doing. Long story short, we found the guy and got the little girls back home. We all went out one night to celebrate. Jenkins ended up at my doorstep with a little more than work on his mind. When I declined his offer things got a little out of hand."

"What did he do," Steve asked aneurism face firmly in place.

"Oh, he got a little handsy," she said lightly, trying to diffuse the tension in Steve's face, "tried to force the issue. But, luckily he was drunk enough, I didn't have too much trouble putting him in his place. He's pretty much been an ass ever since, but he's kept his distance and he hasn't tried anything else, just snide little comments every now and again. Agent Amari is very good at keeping him in check."

"Did you file a report?"

"No. After I kicked his ass, there was really no need."

"He sounds like a son of a bitch. I don't like him."

"He is, but he and I have an understanding. I don't like him either, but I trust him. He's a good agent."

H5O

Steve did a double take when he saw Lori pass by his office window. He felt a little disappointment when he saw her turn into Kono's office.

"Hey, Kono."

Kono looked up from her computer. "Hey, girl. What's up?"

"Bad time?"

"No, come on in."

Kono's office hadn't changed much in the last year and a half. It still smelled of salt water and island breeze. Lori had always felt very comfortable in this office. She had missed Kono, but breaking ties completely when she left Five-O had been the right thing to do, even if her reasons had been selfish. "I wanted to run something by you."

"Sure."

"I have a name, Markus Aaron Williams. Do you recall seeing that on any of your lists?"

"Not off the top of my head, why?"

"His name popped on a B&E in Pennsylvania, but I can't find any photo records, nothing to put a face to the name."

"Did you two find something?" Steve asked from Kono's door. Lori turned in her seat to find him leaning against the door frame, feet crossed at the ankles, arms crossed over his chest. She was immediately hyperaware of his presence. He seemed to fill the room entirely as if nothing existed other than him. It was a dangerous feeling, she knew, but everything about him drew her in: his scent, his eyes, his smile, him. She felt her cheeks flush and was grateful for Kono's response.

"We're looking at a name, Markus Williams."

Lori explained. "There were seventeen veterinary clinic break-ins in the Scranton area over the course of a year before the murders began. Thirteen of those were smash and grab. The perp's took whatever they could get their hands on. The other four were much more precise."

"What do you mean?" Kono asked.

Lori turned back toward her while Steve made himself comfortable on the corner of Kono's desk. "In each of these four break-ins, the perp used a glass cutter to make a hole just big enough to reach in and unlock a back window. He raised the window and immediately disarmed the alarm system before it ever went off... He by-passed it without the code. All four clinics reported the same inventory loss."

"Ketamine," Steve ventured.

"Ketamine and Hydromorphone," Lori confirmed. "There was one suspect, Markus Aaron Williams. According to the police report, he went to the University of Scranton. He was a double major, computer technology and chemical engineering. The funny thing is, I can't find a picture ID of this guy. There's no drivers license, no bank records, no utility records, nothing. When I called the University, all they could tell me was that he did go to school there, but dropped out in the middle of his third year. He was a straight A student, but there were no accounting records and no student photo ID. It's like the details of his life were erased."

"You said he was a computer major, maybe he erased himself," Steve wondered.

"I don't know," Kono said. "It's one thing to hack the DMV or even a university, but to erase all your financials would take some pretty serious doing."

"I want to look at the names on those lists again. See if there's a Markus Williams or any variation of that name. I could really use your help."

"You got it," Kono offered

He could hear it in Lori's voice, how much she wanted to stop this guy. He was concerned at how tired she looked. The dark circles under her eyes made him worry that she wasn't getting enough rest. Her flawless skin was unusually pale; her typically brilliant green eyes just a touch dull. "I'll get Danny and Chin, maybe we'll find something," he said promising her in silence that they would do their best. She understood and rewarded him with a weary but grateful smile.

Danny and Chin joined them in Kono's office, each taking a list to search. "I've got something," Kono announced. "William A. Marks. He worked at the quick lube in Scranton."

"I've got a Mark W. Adams in Kentucky," Chin added.

"Anything from San Antonio?" Lori asked looking hopefully at Danny and Steve.

"Nothing on my list," Steve said regretfully.

"Whoa, wait. I've got an Aaron M. Williamson in San Antonio."

Lori and Steve looked at each other. He could see the hope building in her eyes. They were dancing again, bright and alive with the possibility of a solid lead.

"Kono, anything on the auto parts list here?"

"No, no variations on Markus Williams."

"Wait," Chin said, grabbing everyone's attention. "I talked Richard Mohana today. He owned the auto parts company that rented the warehouse. He said no one ever came around the warehouse except his employees and one delivery guy from the Auto Mart on fifth. They supplied them with custom, hard to get, parts. His name was Will. That's all he knew."

"Its seven o'clock," Steve said glancing down at his watch. "Kono, pull up the business license. See who owns the Auto Mart and get me an address or a phone number."

**A/N: Doesn't seem to be a lot of interest in this story so I will likely be finishing it up soon. For those of you who are reading, I won't leave anything undone. **


	6. Chapter 6:  Dead End

**A/N: Well, here goes. A little romance/comfort/friendship and a little torture. What a combination!**

**Chpt 6: Dead End**

"Okay, thank you," Kono said and hung up her phone.

"That's not a happy face," Danny commented. They were all gathered in Steve's office waiting on the results of Kono's search.

"No, it isn't. Will Aronson was a cash only employee. No address, no phone number. Auto Mart owner sent me to the manager. He said Aronson was a good employee, kept mostly to himself. Came to work on time everyday. Never caused any trouble."

"You said he _was _a good employee?" Lori asked, already certain as to what that meant.

"Yeah," Kono sighed. "He stopped coming to work six weeks ago."

"He would have known the warehouse was going out of business. He would have known too about the engine block hook in the back," Steve conjectured.

"The perfect place for him to do his dirty work," Danny said.

Steve caught the quiver in Lori's lip before she silently turned away from the group toward the window overlooking the parking lot.

"All right," Steve said and clapped his hands in front of him. "Let's get out of here. Everybody get some rest and we'll start fresh in the morning".

One by one, the team trickled out of Steve's office, each one somber with disappointment. When the room cleared, Steve moved quickly to Lori. She stood at the window, arms crossed over her chest, staring at nothing. He reached for her tentatively, placing his hands lightly on her arms. This time, surprising them both, she didn't stiffen under his touch. Encouraged, he gently ran his hands up and down her arms offering her much needed comfort. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Lori closed her eyes and leaned back into his touch. Steve reached across and cupped her chin in his hand. Turning her toward him, he caught a tear with his thumb and gently wiped it away. She shook her head trying desperately to hold back the tears. Steve pulled her to his chest and she collapsed against him finally letting go. He held her wordlessly, stroking her hair while she cried. Tears gave way to exhaustion and she pulled back from him while she still had the will to do so. Unwavering, Steve lowered his hands to hers, but he didn't let go.

Lori opened her mouth to speak, an apology on her lips, but hesitated. Something in his eyes made it suddenly hard to breath. He gently tucked a stray hair behind her ear letting his hand come to rest on her neck. He slipped his other hand around her waist and his eyes flicked to her lips. He leaned closer and felt her shutter in his arms. His eyes drifted back to hers. They beckoned him closer. His lips parted as he closed the distance between them.

"Hey Steve, what do you want me to... Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."

"You didn't," Lori said as she skirted around Steve. She gathered her keys and her notebook from the table. "Thank you for the help," she said quietly, eyes trained on her belongings. She steadied herself with a deep, cleansing breath before speaking again. "I'll see you tomorrow." Cheeks flushed, she headed for the door.

Reluctantly, Danny faced Steve. He looked murderous. "I... I, um," was all he managed. He pointed toward the empty hallway. "I'm sorry. I didn't know..."

"Don't"

"What? I didn't mean to interrupt, I just."

"It's fine," Steve assured him with a sigh.

"It looked like the two of you were getting pretty close," Danny ventured.

"Yeah, we were until somebody came barreling around the corner."

"I said I was sorry."

"I heard you."

"So you think the two of you might try to make a go of things?"

"I don't know. This case has her pretty torn up. I may have just overstepped my boundaries."

"Um, I don't think so. I've seen the way she looks at you. She's fighting it, but she's still got a thing for you. Just be there for her. Everything else will work itself out."

**H5O**

8AM, Lori pulled into the parking lot of the federal building after a much needed good night's rest. The big blue Chevy caught her eye while the man leaning against it stole her breath. She felt that familiar flutter low in her gut. It had been well over a year since any man had stirred those butterflies. A year and a half worth of work burying those feelings was gone in less time than it takes to carry on a decent conversation. Just seeing him again was enough to set her down that road once again. Somehow though, things were different this time. She found herself doing less pining and more hoping. And after what happened last night, more contemplating. They had been mere centimeters from a first kiss. On her way home, she had wondered if their closeness was a product of Steve's need to protect and comfort or if they were truly moving toward something she had so longed for, not all that long ago. Now here he was walking toward her in her parking lot, a smile on his face and a coffee in each hand. She tried to temper her smile when she met his eyes, but it was no use. She was happy to see him. Steve stopped an arm length in front of her and held out a cup.

"Thank you," she said sincerely, but questions played across her face.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm good, thanks," she said.

"How did you sleep?"

"Like a rock."

"We still on for tonight?"

"I'm game if you are," she challenged.

Steve chuckled, glad to see her back in fighting form. "I'll see you tonight, then."

He paused before turning away, holding her gaze a touch longer than was necessary. She watched him walk away hoping that extra swagger in his step was her doing.

**H5O**

Lori walked into the war room and flipped on the lights. She cleared a space on the dry erase board and added her new discoveries along with a to do list.

**Black Ford Taurus: check registrations**

**Scranton B&E's : call Detective of record**

**University of Scranton: Talk to profs in chem. eng & computer tech**

**University Police: Markus Aaron Williams**

**Inciting Event: WHAT SET HIM OFF?**

She looked at her watch. "_9AM here. That means it's already 3PM in Scranton_," she thought. She eyed her board. A wild thought ran through her head. Licking her lips, she considered the possibility. Without any further hesitation, she picked up her phone.

"McGarrett," said the voice on the other end of the line.

"Have you ever been to Pennsylvania?"

"No, why?"

"There's a six hour time difference between here and there. I think ultimately, this investigation will move quicker if I go to Scranton; ask my questions in person..."

"Sounds reasonable. You want some company?"

"I could use your help. Besides, there's no way Amari let's me go by myself. He doesn't generally travel so that just leaves Jenkins and..."

"When do we leave?"

"I have to check flights, but I was hoping we could leave as soon as possible."

"I can leave in an hour."

"I'll call you back."

Lori knocked on Amari's door. "Hey, Chief."

He smiled at her greeting and motioned for her to enter. Everyone called him Chief. He was one of the seasoned, still active agents and everyone admired his work. He was a mentor and a friend.

"I found something," she said, "a name. Markus Aaron Williams."

Agent Amari listened while Lori recounted her findings from the previous day including the dead end they hit last night. "I need to go to Scranton. There's something I'm missing. Maybe I'll find it if I'm there to dig in person."

Amari sat quietly for a moment mulling over her request. "I don't think so."

"What?" she retorted, shocked at his denial. "Why not?"

"I'm just not sure a trip to Pennsylvania is warranted."

"But...," she stuttered.

"Look, I've given you a lot of leeway here lately. I've allowed you to work with Five-O on this because, one, I think they could be a great alli in the future and I'd like to keep a good repor with Commander McGarrett and his team. Two, I know you used to be one of them. I repeat, you _used_ to be one of them. You work for the bureau now. You would do well to remember that."

"I know where my loyalties lie. And since when did this become a competition. Isn't our single, common objective stopping this guy?"

"Yes, of course it is."

"Then authorize this trip to Pennsylvania. The investigation is at a stand still here and this guy is gonna' get really desperate, really fast. We could lose him."

"Or he could make another mistake."

"Chief, please. The answers we need are in Scranton."

Agent Amari sighed. "Let me think about it."

"There's no time..."

"Agent Weston! You have been given an answer."

She eyed him through a hard stare, eyes on fire. "Fine. I would like to request a few days vacation time please, starting tomorrow..."

"Lori"

"I've been hear a year and a half and have yet to even take a sick day."

Amari chewed on the inside of his lip. He knew she was serious. "You know I can't let you go alone. That means it's you and Jenkins all the way to Pennsylvania."

"Commander McGarrett already volunteered to go with me."

"Is that a professional or a personal favor?"

"Professional, of course," Lori said through her teeth, yet her face remained a mask of unreadable emotion. "Five-O is actually vested in this investigation."

Her unspoken accusation came through loud and clear.

"Make your phone calls. Set up your meetings. Leave as soon as you can. You get your business done and you get back here ASAP, understand? I'll clear it upstairs."

She nodded once and released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

She stopped in the hall to text Steve. "Got the OK. We leave ASAP. See you tonight."

**H5O**

Steve was looking over Kono's shoulder at the list of registered Ford Tauruses in the Honolulu area. They were attempting to narrow their search by color and year when he received Lori's text. Kono caught his smile. "Good news?"

He grinned coiley, but didn't offer a reply.

Kono returned his smile in kind. "Where did you send Danny and Chin?"

"I've got them in the industrial district, looking for the Taurus. Lori said this guy is a creature of habit. Maybe his new digs aren't far from the warehouse."

"Did the FBI get any hits on the medical equipment we found at the crime scene?"

"No, nothing traceable... Lori and I are going to Pennsylvania. Track down a few leads, see if we can get a better handle on who this guy is. I'll only be gone a few days, so... _what_?"

"Nothin', Boss," Kono replied shaking her head, all smiles.

"She has questions that need to be asked in person."

"I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to."

"You know I think she kind of liked you when she worked here."

"Why do you say that?"

"Um, let's just call it a hunch?"

"A hunch."

"Yeah. For what it's worth, I like her. I think she... suits you."

"Well, this trip is about the investigation, nothing more."

"Sure thing, Boss."

Steve opened his mouth to say _what,_ he wasn't sure, when his phone rang. "McGarrett," he answered grinning at Kono through a mock scowl.

"Hey, I booked our flight. We leave at 7:58 tonight, arrive in Scranton tomorrow at 2:20PM. It's a sixteen hour trip. We have a meeting with University Administration at 4:00. She said she would line everything up from there. Whatever we need."

He looked at Kono who had returned her attention to her search and silently excused himself from her office. "So, I'll pick you up at 5:00. We'll get something to eat on the way to the airport."

"It's a long way to go. You sure you want to do this?"

"I'm game if you are."

He could hear her smiling into the phone. "I'll see you at 5."

**H5O**

Kerrie's feet throbbed. She didn't know that pain like this existed. Blood seeped from under the duck tape around her wrists and ankles. She was sitting in a small folding chair in front of a TV tray, trying to keep the bottom of her feet from touching the floor beneath her. She started to shake involuntarily when he entered the dusky room. "I brought you your favorite desert. Chocolate covered strawberries". He knelt down beside her eager for her to see. "I remember how your face lit up at Christmas when I got you that box. You asked me how I knew they were your favorite. I don't know how I knew, I just did. Just like I know you and I are meant to be together," he said as he stroked her silky blond hair. He looked into her eyes searching for approval, longing to be loved. "Rachel, don't you know that I would do anything for you? All you have to do is ask". He brushed away a tear as it streamed down her face. "Don't cry, sweetheart. Everything is gonna' be fine. You'll see. I know things are a little rough right now. This place isn't as nice as what you're used to and the food isn't as fancy, but things will get better. I promise. All we really need is each other, right? Rachel? All we really need is each other, _**right**_?" She nodded and closed her eyes as more tears ran in tracks down her cheeks. She knew he wasn't really seeing her when he spoke. He was with someone else entirely, someone named Rachel. "You hardly ate a thing. Here let me help you". He stabbed at the microwave dinner with a dirty fork and brought it to her chapped lips. She pulled away. "If you don't eat, you'll get sick. I can't let anything happen to you. I won't... not this time. We have so much to talk about, so many things left to do. Tell me you love me, Rachel. Tell me that I'm the one that matters most in your life. I can forgive you, Rachel. I know you didn't mean it. I know you didn't mean to hurt me. Just tell me you love me. Make me believe it."

Kerrie tried to speak, but her throat was so dry. Her mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton. "I love you," she squeaked.

"Say my name, Rachel," he said as he placed one gentle kiss on her forehead. "Tell me you love me. Say my name. Say it on a whisper or a giggle. Say it the way you used to." He placed another soft kiss on her cheek.

"I...," she hesitated. "_**I don't know your name**_," she wanted to scream, but the last time she had admitted such, he had become enraged. The bottom of her feet felt like pulverized hamburger meat from the beating they had taken. It had taken him hours to calm down. She could see the anger building now behind his eyes. He grabbed the back of her hair and yanked on it, hard. Her head snapped back and she screamed as her knees hit the tray sending the frozen dinner flying. He covered her mouth with his hand and forced her to the floor, landing on top of her. "Why do you do this to me, Rachel? Why," he wailed. He could see the terror in her dilated eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he begged as he brushed her hair back from her face. He laid his head on her chest and moaned into the crook of her neck. Lying underneath him, she could feel his entire body shake under the weight of his sobs. She prayed he would, once again, cry himself to sleep the way he had done after her beating. Within minutes, her prayer was answered. His breathing leveled and his hand slipped from her shoulder. Trapped beneath him, she turned her head and watched a roach crawl across the remains of her frozen dinner.

**A/N: Too graphic? I'm wading into new water here with this torture stuff. That's about as bad as it's gonna' get. I much prefer writing the action and romance, but I feel like insights into this guy's world are pretty necessary. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism and any and all story suggestions are always appreciated!**

**Ren **


	7. Chapter 7: Scranton Has Its Secrets

**A/N: I apologize for the long delay. This chapter is rather lengthy. I hope you enjoy!**

**Chpt 7: Scranton Has Its Secrets**

The weathered floor snagged her dress and scraped her back as he pulled her up and over his shoulder. He carried her back to the bedroom and placed her gently on the dusty mattress by the wall. She watched him walk to the tiny closet and pull back the sheet he used as a door. He pulled out two new evening gowns. He alternately held one and then the other out in front of him. "The blue one," he said aloud and turned to her for confirmation. She blinked rapidly trying to hold off the onslaught of new tears. Turning his attention back to the dresses, he spoke to himself. "Yes, the blue one, I think". He returned the pink one to its place in the closet and delicately laid his choice on the bed. "You always look so beautiful in blue. It highlights your eyes, draws out the color, makes them sparkle". His voice was unusually light and cheerful. He walked around the bed and knelt down next to her. Tapping her nose playfully, he asked, "You like blue, right?" He stood and opened the drawer of the night stand. Her eyes grew wide in horror when she saw the knife. He ran the blade across his thigh, first one side then the other. She shook her head back and forth unable to speak. "Oh no," he explained rushing back to her side. "Don't be afraid. I'm just gonna' cut the tape on your wrists so that you can change clothes. Here, see," he said once again kneeling in front of her. "Let me see your hands." She reluctantly lifted two bound and shaking hands to him. He began to saw at the tape between her wrists. "You know, I don't really see why this duct tape is necessary," he said, "but, I'm not in charge so..." he shrugged. She watched him as he worked to free her hands with the dull knife. He held his tongue between his lips like a child as he concentrated on his task. His face was the same, but his essence was very different. He spoke in a different voice, child like, with a different purpose. He moved with a skip in his step as if he didn't have a care in the world. This was not the same man that had taken her from the parking lot. Nor was this the same man that had cried while lying on top of her on the kitchen floor.

"Why are you doing this," she whispered.

"So you can change your dress," he said matter-of-factly.

"No... Why are you keeping me here? What do you want from me?"

He stopped sawing on the tape and dropped his chin to his chest. He drew in a long, deep breath. Exasperated, he shook his head slowly back and forth. Bile rose in her throat. His grip tightened on the knife at his side until his knuckles turned white. He whirled, throwing the knife hard against the wall. His scream was inhuman. Spinning back to face her, he ran his hands through his hair and beat at his temples with the palms of both hands. This was the man that had beaten her feet until they were of no use. She found a way to scream when he charged toward her. He grabbed her around the neck and slammed her against the far wall. He showered her with spit as he screamed in her face. "What do I want from you? Are you kidding me? I want an apology, Rachel!" His voice was deep and guttural. Unable to breath, she beat on his chest with her still bound hands. "I want you to love me! I want you to convince me that it was all a misunderstanding; that it's me you want. Why is that so hard for you?" The dusky room exploded with lights and flashes that burned her retinas from the inside. Her lungs felt like they were on fire. They screamed for air that wouldn't come no matter how much she willed it to be. The last thing she felt was his head crashing into hers before the world went dark and blank.

**H5O**

"You sure you want to do this? It's a long way from here to Pennsylvania."

Steve smiled at her over his coffee cup. "How long has it been since you've been home?"

"Did you pull my file again, Commander?"

He pointed to his head. "Memory like an elephant."

"Right."

"How far is your home from Scranton?

"It's a hundred and twenty five miles from Lock Haven to Scranton."

"That's not that far," he said. An unspoken suggestion hung in the air.

"No, it isn't," she said ignoring said suggestion for now.

"So what's there to do in Lock Haven?"

"Um, not so much. It's small... really, really small. Population 9200. I grew up on the river... the Susquehana. Say that three times fast."

"Your parents still live there?"

"Uhuh, and so do my three brothers. My dad is a full-time History professor at Lock Haven University and a part-time farmer at home."

"You grew up on a farm? Like with cows and chickens?"

"A few cows, a few more chickens, and a couple of horses. We grew wheat, barley, and potatoes commercially, but my mom always kept a not so small garden with corn, lettuce, okra… all the vegetables she liked to cook... What?"

He shook his head. "I'm just thinking about you... on the farm."

"Yeah, well, knock it off."

"Is Penn State very far from home?"

"Far enough," she said with a smirk.

"You know you never told me why you changed your major."

"Someday," she said and flashed him a warm smile.

They chatted over dinner and almost let the time slip too far by. Steve could not help but notice Lori's inability to sit still now that they were at the gate, waiting to board the plane. "You okay?"

"I hate to fly."

"What?"

"I hate it. I mean I really hate it".

Her seriousness was evidenced by her white knuckled grip on the arm rest at her side. Steve reached for her free hand where it lay gripping her knee next to him. Without a word, he laced his fingers through hers. She studied their entwined fingers and felt the fear fade. Another emotion threatened to take over, one she wasn't quite ready to deal with, but she appreciated the distraction.

**H5O**

Steve ran his hand lightly along her jaw line and whispered, "Hey, sleepyhead".

Lori's eyes fluttered open and she lifted her chin toward the whisper. She was greeted by a heart-stopping half grin. "We're getting ready to land."

Lori returned his smile and reluctantly lifted her head from his shoulder. She stretched her legs and back as best she could in the tight space. Steve stretched his back in kind. "I didn't wear your shoulder out did I?"

"No, but your snoring turned a few heads."

She sat up straight, frowning. "Nooo," she growled.

"No," he said and smiled mischievously.

Lori rolled her eyes and half-smiled turning her attention to the scenery just coming into view outside the small window. She saw dotted farm land and small city clusters surrounded by narrow rivers that cut the land into various shapes and designs. She felt the pang of homesickness and hoped that maybe, just maybe, she might be able to make time for a quick trip home.

**H5O**

"Hi, Lori Weston, we have an appointment with Mrs. Grieve at 4:00".

"I'll tell her your here," the young woman said. She did a double take when she saw Steve and offered him a very inviting grin as she stood and turned, making her way to the closed office door behind her. Steve returned her smile with a flirtatious grin of his own. Lori watched the exchange with an arched eyebrow.

"Maybe you could meet her at a kegger later."

"I was just being friendly," he assured her.

"Right," she agreed, her voice full of sarcasm.

The young woman reappeared. "Right this way, please."

Lori and Steve found a petite yet stern looking woman in her late fifties, early sixties standing behind a well organized desk. "Agent Weston," she said as she extended her hand to Lori. "I'm Margaret Grieve."

"Yes, Mam," Lori said and shook her hand in greeting. "This is Commander Steve McGarrett, my partner."

"Commander," she nodded and greeted him with a firm handshake as well. "Please have a seat. I pulled the file on Markus Aaron Williams. I made a copy of everything that we have on him," she said and handed Lori a very thin file. "It's odd, really. As I told you on the phone, there is no picture ID in the paper file, nor on the computer, and no real history. It's just gone, and I can't explain it. I will, however, tell you what I know about Mr. Williams. He attended the university on a Milton Earl scholarship. That particular scholarship covers tuition, room and board. It also guarantees the recipient on-campus employment should they choose to take advantage of that opportunity. The recipient must maintain a 3.5 grade point average at minimum which Mr. Williams did up until his early departure from our campus."

"Is that an academic scholarship?" Steve asked.

"In part, yes. It's only available to students from Pennsylvania who were either adopted or who grew up as a ward of the state."

"Williams was adopted?" Lori asked.

"No, as a matter of fact, he was not. That information, too, is missing from his file. I, however was on the selection committee four years ago when Mr. Williams applied for the scholarship. I remember his story quite clearly. He was orphaned at three years of age when his mother committed suicide. His grandmother relinquished rights and he was sent to foster care. He bounced from foster home to foster home for the next fifteen years. I remember him to be a bright, polite, and good natured young man. He seemed very well adjusted despite his difficult upbringing. It made me wonder how a boy of his charm and intelligence had remained unadopted."

"Did Mr. Williams work on campus?"

"Yes, that information is still there. He worked in one of the science labs on a research project with Dr. Joseph Morgan. He was also employed in the student outreach center as a math and computer tutor."

Lori and Steve glanced at each other. "We'd like to talk to Dr. Morgan, and also to someone in student outreach."

"Let me just call and set that up for you. As you requested, you already have a meeting with campus police at 9:00 AM tomorrow morning."

Lori and Steve left the office of Mrs. Margaret Grieve, perhaps the most efficient woman in Pennsylvania, with a file in hand and a plan for the next day. They walked in silence back to the rental car. "You think this is our guy," she asked wearily.

"I hope so."

"How in the hell did he erase his life?"

"No idea," he replied. "Maybe we'll find something tomorrow. Right now, I want food and sleep."

"Yeah, me too."

Back at the hotel, it was showers and bed as they were both too exhausted to do much more. Lori heard a tap on the door connecting her room to Steve's. She opened it to find a sleepy eyed Commander McGarrett. "Just wanted to say goodnight."

"Goodnight," she replied through heavily lidded eyes of her own. She leaned against the edge of the door. "I'm glad you're here by the way."

"Yeah, me too". A moment of contented silence passed between them before Steve reached for her. He ran his hand through the ends of her hair where it lay damp over her shoulder. He smiled invitingly. Lori felt a now too familiar tingle low in her gut, and she caught her breath. He played with her hair for a moment more before repeating his goodnight. Lori reluctantly closed the door as he backed away.

**H5O**

The campus police station was exactly what you would expect. A third of the force was unarmed college students charged with writing tickets and patrolling pedestrian trails. The second third consisted mostly of armed, retired policemen or overweight police want-a-bees. The last third looked like a fairly functional group of men and women who, Lori and Steve guessed, would be their best point of contact. Fortunately, Mrs. Grieve agreed, and had scheduled them to meet with Sergeant Michael Pickens who informed them that Markus Williams had had not so much as a parking ticket while attending school at the University of Scranton. He was questioned when a bottle of injectable anesthetic went missing in the research lab where he worked, "but it looks like that was all resolved internally. You could speak to Dr. Joseph Morgan about that. He was the professor in charge."

**H5O**

"That was quite a while ago. Best I remember, the bottle turned up and the investigation was dropped."

"What did you use the Ketamine for, professor?" Steve asked.

"It's an injectable anesthetic. The mice in the study were given Ketamine for minor procedures and also to sedate them before euthanasia."

"What can you tell us about Markus Williams?"

"He was a great employee. I hated to lose him."

"Did he quit?"

"He said he was having girlfriend trouble. I assumed it was fairly significant, as agitated as he was."

"Significant?" Lori questioned.

"Students date and break up. It's always significant to them... for about a week or so if you know what I mean. Then they move on. I got the idea that he wasn't moving on from this one. I just assumed that maybe she was pregnant or something, well, truly significant."

"Because of the way he acted," Lori clarified.

"Yes. He was typically a fairly friendly, up beat kid. Did his work and did it well. He was intelligent and dependable. When he came by to resign his position, he kept pressing on his eyes like he had a headache. I remember because I had just started a new medication for migraines. I asked him about his headache and he said it had been there, behind his eye, for two weeks. I told him to ask his doctor about the medication. It was more than just a headache though. He was emotional and fidgety, very uncharacteristic for him."

"He told you he was upset about his girlfriend?"

"He said he was leaving because he had to take care of his girlfriend. He said she was the most important thing in his life right now. I collected his pass key and his badge and wished him luck."

"His badge?" Lori and Steve asked at the same time.

"You have to show your badge to get past security in the evening."

"Are they photo ID badges?"

"Yes, why?"

"You wouldn't still have that badge by any chance, would you," Lori asked.

"Um, I doubt it, but I'll ask my secretary when she gets back tomorrow. If we do, she would be the only one who would know where it might be."

"Here's my card. Please call me, if you find that ID," Lori said.

"Will do."

Steve and Lori stepped into the late morning sun. "Which way now?"

Lori pulled out her cartoon-like map of the campus. "Student Outreach. That way."

**H5O**

"That's weird," the young man behind the reception desk said as he stared at his computer monitor.

"Let me guess. All of his information has been deleted," Lori said not even attempting to hide her frustration. "Do you have any paper files?"

"We used to keep everything on paper, up until a year or so ago. Now we back everything up off site, so there's no need."

"He would have worked here two and a half, maybe three years ago," Steve offered.

"Hold on. Let me get Levi, he's worked here longer than that."

Levi Brown led them to a small storage closet full of old notebooks. "We dumped everything in here until we could get the okay from upstairs to destroy it. You're welcome to look, but I'm sorry, they aren't in any kind of order."

"You have got to be kidding me," Lori complained as she took in the sight of appointment book after appointment book thrown haphazardly into forgotten piles.

"If it helps, the notebooks are labeled by date and subject."

"Levi, did you know Markus Williams," Lori asked.

"I knew him a little. He was really good at math."

"Did he ever mention a girlfriend?"

Levi chuckled. "No, no girlfriend."

"What's funny," Steve asked.

"I don't know. He was a nice guy, I guess. He just wasn't exactly good with the ladies if you know what I mean."

"Thank you, Levi," Lori said effectively excusing Levi.

Steve held out his arm as if to say, "ladies first," and followed her into the small closet. They cleared two spots on the floor and dove in. Forty-five minutes later, Steve stopped to stretch his back and watched Lori as she continued to sort through stacks of old tutoring appointment books. "You're gonna' get a wrinkle," he teased. She stopped and looked at him, taking a second to switch gears and process what he had just said. She realized she was scowling and tried to relax her face. "Look whose talking. You invented the aneurism face."

"Point taken," he said with a playful grin. She returned the smile and got right back to work. Moments later, Steve spoke. "I think I found something". Lori immediately moved to his side. They collected twelve, one month, math appointment books all in proximity of each other at the bottom of a small pile from William's final year of employment. "What say we take these back to the hotel? Do our research there?"

"Definitely," Lori agreed.

**H5O**

Steve and Lori spread the books about on Steve' king sized bed. "How did you rate," she asked, hands on her hips at the foot of the bed. "I got stuck with two doubles."

"You know a king sized bed is a lonely place for one," he teased and was rewarded with a muted flush to Lori's cheeks.

"I'm sure," she answered. "Let's start with spring, see who he was tutoring when things fell apart."

Steve grabbed the March, April, and May appointment books and scooted back against the headboard. Lori wasn't quite sure how to proceed until Steve looked at her and patted the bed next to him. She could see the challenge in his expression. Never one to back down from a challenge, Lori plopped down next to him and grabbed the March book.

Four female names popped consistently in those three months. Lori noted the names and checked her watch. "Three thirty," she said out loud. "I'm gonna see if Mrs. Grieve is still in. See if these names mean anything to her."

Lori scooted off the bed and grabbed her phone.

"I'm gonna' change clothes. Maybe go for a run. You in?"

"Yeah, sounds good". Steve disappeared into the bathroom and Lori stepped trough the connecting doors into her room.

When Steve returned, she was just hanging up the phone. "You're gonna' want to change back into your other clothes"

"Why?"

"Rachel Evans, one of our names, disappeared two and a half years ago from her dorm on campus. The case was never solved. She was never found."

"Is she ground zero?"

"Could be. Mrs. Grieve said the local police handled the investigation. Detectives Ortega and Bailey were her contacts. She gave me the number. I'm gonna' see if we can meet them today."

**H5O**

Detective Hector Ortega was a seasoned detective. He was only forty three, but he had been a cop for twenty of those forty three years. His partner, Detective Trevon Bailey was young and eager. The Evans case was his first as a detective, and it was obvious he was still affected by it. "Yeah, that case was a bitch," Detective Ortega said while Bailey remained quiet. "Rachel Evans was a sophomore. By all accounts she was smart, friendly, not an enemy one. She was a pretty little thing too. She had been to a fraternity dance the night she disappeared. Her date was a friend. Said he dropped her off at her dorm a little after midnight. Walked her to the door and watched her go inside. Witnesses confirm he was in his room shortly there after."

"Did you suspect he had anything to do with the disappearance," Steve probed.

"No, I really didn't. He was pretty upset by the whole thing. His surprise seemed genuine when he was told."

"Detective Ortega, did the name Markus Williams ever come up?" Lori asked.

"Doesn't sound familiar. Let me grab my notes". Ortega excused himself to the back of the squad room.

Detective Bailey finally spoke. "We didn't have any real suspects in the case. FBI showed up about three weeks after the investigation went cold. He looked through all of our notes and said he would be in touch. Never heard another thing from him." He looked coldly at Lori, waiting for her to respond. He was obviously unhappy with the way the FBI had handled the girl's case.

Lori frowned at Steve then asked. "You said 'he'. Was there just one agent?"

"Yes, only one that I saw."

"Do you recall his name?"

"Not off the top of my head, but it should be in the notes."

Ortega returned with a dusty evidence box in hand. This is everything I have on the case. Let me find my list of names. Williams you said?"

"Yes, Markus Williams. He was her math tutor." They waited while he thumbed through his notes.

"Yeah, here it is... Let's see. Markus Williams. We interviewed him a few days after the disappearance. He lived in her dorm and friends reported that he seemed to pop up at different times and places, but there was never any real interaction between the girl and Williams. He seemed insignificant at the time."

"Detective Bailey said the FBI was involved at some point?"

"You know that was very strange. One agent showed up here, weeks after the investigation stalled. He looked at my notes, wanted to know if I had taken pictures of the interviewees. I remember because one, he showed up so late into the investigation and, two, I thought it was a strange thing to ask. We don't routinely take photos of anyone but our suspects. I also thought it was weird that only one guy from the FBI showed up. It was more like he was just being nosy, you know. He was pretty useless when he was here. No offense, Agent Weston."

"None taken," she assured him. "Do you have the agent's name?"

"Ah yeah, I should," he said as he flipped further through his notebook. Here it is. Agent Faruke Amari."

"What?" Lori said, shock clearly registering on her face.

"Faruke Amari. I think that's how you say it."

"You're sure," Lori demanded.

"That's what I wrote down. Why? Does that name mean something to you?"

"Yeah, I know him," she said trying to regain her composure.

"Is there something that I should know?"

"No," Lori recovered, her voice stronger. "He's a good agent. I'm sure he did everything he could with the information you gave him"

"Could we see a photo of the victim," Steve asked, purposely shifting topics.

"Here you go," Ortega said. The victim was blond and slender. She had a sweet smile and intelligent eyes. "_What a shame_," Steve thought as he handed the photo back to the detective.

"Keep it," he said. "I have several more copies in here."

"Thank you. And, thank you for your time," Lori said needing to escape the squad room as quickly as possible.

Lori and Steve walked back to the car without a word. Lori stopped and looked at him over the top of the car. "I wonder..." she said and held up her finger asking Steve to give her just a minute. She pulled out her phone and paced while waiting for an answer. "This is Agent Weston calling again. Is Mrs. Grieve still in her office?... Thank you... Yes, hello. I just have a couple of follow-up questions if you don't mind. The Rachel Evans case. Do you recall speaking with an agent from the FBI during that investigation?... Do you remember his name?... Would he have had access to your computer as part of that investigation?... Thank you, Mrs. Grieve, you've been very helpful."

Lori walked back to the car where Steve stood, leaning on the hood. He rose to meet her. "Mrs. Grieve spoke to a single agent investigating Rachel Evans' disappearance. She didn't remember his name, but she said he was very interested in background information. She said he spent the afternoon on her assistant's computer."

"Doing what," he asked.

"Erasing photos and background information?"

He could tell she was angry. Betrayal tended to do that to a person.

"You okay?"

"Why? Why would he do it? I don't understand," she said, pacing and obviously upset. Steve watched her pace, arms crossed over his chest. "Think. I need to think," she growled.

Steve stepped into her path, forcing her to stop. He took hold of her shoulders. "Let's go back to the hotel. We'll take that run. It'll clear your head."

She sighed deeply and stretched her neck. He ran his hand quickly down her arm and bent to meet her at eye level. "Yeah?"

She nodded and followed him back to the car.

**H5O**

Kerrie woke to a throbbing headache. She grabbed her aching head and sat quietly, waiting for her vision to clear. Slowly, the bed side table came into focus. She realized two things simultaneously. One, that's where he kept the big knife. Two, her hands were free of the duct tape. Her heart raced, a desperate plan forming. She inched closer to the table willing herself to move slowly and silently. Her wrists throbbed and her feet ached. The duct tape around her ankles sent shards of pain up her leg with each movement. She had to stop and disentangle her legs from the new, blue silk dress that had wrapped around her calves and thighs. She shivered at the thought of him removing the old, torn dress while she laid their unconscious. The new gown had a plunging neck line and a low, revealing scoop in the back. The length made it difficult for her to scoot toward the table. She reached for the handle with two trembling hands. The table was old and the wood was warped. She had to move closer to gain the leverage she needed to pull open the drawer. Her head rose above the plane of the mattress. Movement to her left caught her attention. "There's nothing in there you need," he hissed. She screamed, an unmistakable scream of terror, and jerked the drawer open hard enough that it flew out of the table sending it's contents crashing down around her. She felt more than saw his body as it raced across the mattress like a spider. Spotting the knife on the floor, she dove at it wildly. The pain was blinding when he grabbed her ankles and yanked her back. She rolled underneath him and lost her breath completely when he stomped across her in an effort to reclaim the knife. He grabbed her by her hair and threw her against the wall. He was breathing hard and fast. Tears were streaming down his face. "You always do this," he wailed. Sliding down the wall, she flattened herself against it. He grabbed his head and fell to his knees gagging and retching in front of her. He finally sat back on his heels and faced her. Gone was the pain that had distorted his face not moments ago. The man that appeared before her was ice cold and calculating. He cocked his head to the side and smiled without parting his lips. "I've been waiting patiently for our turn to dance". Too terrified to scream, Kerrie closed her eyes and turned into the wall.

**TBC**

**A/N: Reviews are my muse. Take a minute and let me know what you think. Any and all suggestions, remarks, constructive criticism, words of encouragement, etc. are always appreciated. Thank you for reading! **


	8. Chapter 8:  New Information

**A/N: Bring on the romance and fluff (oh and there is some pretty important case information as well). Thanks for reading!**

**Chpt 8: New Information**

Steve tapped on the connecting door before entering Lori's room. She was sitting cross-legged on the bed with her nose buried in her lap top. "Hey! Did you have a good run?"

"Yeah, I did. Did you find anything?"

"Tons," she said with a sweeping hand gesture.

He loved the way she spoke with her hands especially when she was nervous or excited. "Let me grab a shower then you can tell me everything," he said pointing over his shoulder toward his room.

Lori wrinkled her nose. "Good idea."

**H5O**

She woke screaming in agony. Never had she felt pain like this. Her legs were purple and swollen from the beating. She had kicked, bit, hit and screamed while he sat on top of her focusing his rage on her calves and thighs. When she thought she could take no more, he had walked away without a word only to return moments later carrying a syringe of clear liquid. He grabbed her bound feet and stabbed the needle between her toes. She barely felt the burn as it entered the muscle. Sweet relief soon followed as she drifted into anesthetic sleep. How long she had slept was anyone's guess. She tried to set up, but the searing pain shoved her back down to the floor. Blinded by the pain and the tears, she shook uncontrollably. She had assumed that she would never wake up again. A part of her welcomed the thought. But there she was, still alive, still trapped in this man's twisted reality with little to no hope for survival.

**H5O**

"So here's what I know," Lori began. Steve grabbed a chair and swung it around so that he straddled it in front of where she sat, still cross-legged on the bed. "Markus's mother, Darlene DaShea Williams, was twenty three years old when he was born. There's no father listed on the birth certificate. Police records show no arrests prior to his birth. After that, however, there are multiple arrests for everything from public indecency to public intoxication, possession, and prostitution. Darlene had an address in Allentown. She lived there for two years before Markus was born. After his birth, Markus and his mother lived with his grandmother, Deloris Williams, up until his mother's suicide at least. Deloris still lives in Mansfield where Markus was born."

"How far is Mansfield from here?"

"Less than two hours, maybe."

"So we go there tomorrow. Talk to the grandmother. Talk to child services. See what we get."

Lori nodded, but Steve could tell there was more on her brain.

"What is it?"

She drew in a steadying breath. "I pulled Amari's file." The look on her face told Steve that something was very wrong.

"And?"

Lori ran her hands threw her hair and stretched her legs over the side of the bed in front of Steve. "Amari and I both went to Penn State. He's from Pennsylvania, too. I had forgotten that until Detective Ortega said his name. According to his file, he was assigned to the bureau office in Allentown. Now, it's unusual to be assigned to an office anywhere near your hometown, especially for your first assignment, but Amari is fluent in Lebanese, Arabic, and French... all native languages for the Lebanese people, depending on what region they're from. There's a huge contingent of Lebanese and Muslim people in the Allentown area. Thus, his assignment."

"So you're thinking, what, he new William's mother?"

Lori stood up and started to pace back and forth between the dresser and the bed. "There's a connection. I'm sure of it... Amari was transferred four years later to the Louisville, Kentucky office. He spent seven years there before being transferred to San Antonio. From there he landed in Hawaii."

"Our killer is following him?" Steve asked, brow furrowed.

Lori stopped pacing, but she couldn't quiet her hands. "Either that, or he's tracking him? I don't know. We need to see if we can connect either Darlene or Markus to Amari."

"How far is Allentown from Mansfield?"

"Three hours maybe. I've never been to Mansfield, but according to Wikipedia, it's a small town and a relatively poor area."

"What about Allentown?"

"Allentown is huge. It's the third largest city in Pennsylvania, only Philadelphia and Pittsburg are bigger."

"So Mansfield is our better bet."

"Yeah, I think so... I don't get it. If he suspected Williams from the beginning, why didn't he say anything?"

Steve shook his head, ideas and theories bounced around in there that he wasn't quite ready to share. Unable to offer her an explanation, he instead asked, "Do you trust him?"

Lori looked at him for a long moment. "Not like I trust you..." Steve's face softened in response. Lori felt that familiar flutter in her gut. "I mean, yes, I trust him or at least I thought I did. Now, I don't know... I should call this in... tell Jenkins."

"Maybe you should wait until we have all our ducks in a row."

"He's gonna' know I pulled his file." The weight of what was happening seemed to settle into her shoulders. She rubbed the back of her neck and closed her eyes.

Steve stood up and moved quietly to her. He placed his hands on her narrow hips and smiled when her eyes flew open. He stepped a little closer. "Its 4:00 back home. I'll call Chin, have him put eyes on Amari. Kono can run the luds and see if anything pops there." She nodded and some of the tension seemed to lift. "We'll figure this out."

She nodded again. He could see she was desperately trying to hold back the tears welling in her eyes. Her hands moved cautiously from her neck to his chest and she lowered her forehead to him, resting it just under his chin. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly against him. She turned her head and nuzzled his neck. He was surprised at how good it felt to hold her. She relaxed into him and let herself enjoy being held. When she pulled back and looked up into his eyes, he was struck by her beauty. She was strong and determined. Anyone could see that. But she was also soft and vulnerable. That she kept hidden from everyone, at least everyone but him it seemed. He felt her tremble in his arms. He lowered his head to hers and dropped his gaze to her lips. They parted in response. He gently brushed her lips with his. He only meant to offer her comfort and support, but tasting her lips was like tasting fire. He felt it clear down to his toes. When she slid her arms up his chest and to his neck, he couldn't resist offering her more. To his surprise, she met his need with an urgent need of her own. A soft moan resonated from her throat when he lifted her from the floor drawing her in as close as he could. She ran her fingers through his hair and pulled him to her, forcing his lips harder into her own. They parted only when the need to breath demanded such. Panting, Steve let her body slide slowly down his front until her toes found the floor. He searched her eyes looking for the go ahead before he pushed things too far. Her eyes were so green and bright, cat-like, the color of jade, and wild with desire. "This isn't about wanting you to feel safe. I want you, plain and simple. I started to miss you the minute you walked out of my office. If I had known you were still on the island, I would have found you and told you so." His words, while said in earnest, surprised even him. He feathered his fingers through her hair, trying to gage her reaction. Her smile reached her eyes, but she didn't speak. She had imagined this day too many times during her stint with Five-O. Yet she had been so very careful not to let anyone see exactly what it was she had felt for him. It wasn't until she had said goodbye that those feelings refused to remain hidden. One awkward hug later and she knew that it simply was not meant to be. "_He has Catherine. Another time, another place, perhaps things could have been different,_" she had told herself. And now here she was, wrapped securely in his arms, hearing the words she had so longed to hear. He cupped her face in his palms and continued his sweet serenade. "This is my second chance. I don't want to screw it up. We can take things at whatever pace you're comfortable with... I'm not going anywhere."

She studied his face, memorizing each hard earned line, losing herself momentarily in the melding blues and greens of his eyes. His hair was a little longer than she remembered, but she enjoyed the feel of it between her fingers. He was telling her the truth. Commander Steve McGarrett didn't say things he didn't mean. He wanted to give them a try. The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

"Are you cold," he whispered.

She slowly shook her head no and returned to her musings. She traced an imaginary line slowly and methodically with her finger starting at his eyebrow and ending at the shallow dimple of his chin. She returned to his eyebrows, using her thumbs to gently trace the arches over his eyes. His lids fluttered closed and he relaxed into her touch as her fingers trailed down his temples and across his cheekbones. She felt the bump on the bridge of his nose and wondered how he had broken it. Her hands cupped his face and she paused to study his lips. He opened his eyes and watched her studying his face. She traced the line of his jaw with the back of her fingers and used her thumbs to outline his lips. Rising up on her toes, she kissed him gently. It was his turn to shiver. He lifted the hem of her shirt needing desperately to feel her bear skin under his hands. His mouth slipped from hers to her neck, just under her jaw, where he lightly kissed and nipped the sensitive skin. He returned to her mouth just in time to hear his phone ring. She heard it too and pulled away when he didn't acknowledge the ring. "Your phone," she said, barely able to speak those two words before his lips reconnected with hers.

"I know," he mumbled.

She pulled away again, leaning back in his arms. "It might be important."

He dropped his head to the crook of her neck and growled. He stepped back from her and dug his phone out of his pocket. "This better be good," he grumbled. "McGarrett... Perfect timing as usual, Danno... Nothing, what 'cha got?.. Good work... Yeah we have." He hesitated and looked to Lori for the okay to bring Danny up to speed. "Tell him everything," she whispered. "I'm gonna' grab a shower." Steve nodded and continued with Danny, filling him in on all that they had discovered.

When Lori emerged from the shower, she found her room dark and empty. She padded barefoot toward the dim light that spilled into her room from Steve's and peaked in. He was lying on his back across the foot of the king sized bed with his forearm tossed over his eyes. Lori leaned against the doorframe and drank in the site of him stretched out across the bed in nothing but his green T-shirt and black boxer briefs. Her eyes scanned his sleeping form, resting momentarily on what she could see of his beautiful face. She thought about how it had felt beneath her fingertips, surprisingly soft to be so rugged. She watched the rhythmic rise and fall of taunt muscles beneath his thin t-shirt and wondered what it would be like to feel those muscles bare beneath her hands. She could see a peak of naked skin where his shirt rose just a bit above the waistband of his boxers. She had seen that six pack on more than one occasion, but it had been a while, and the temptation to slide her hand across his core was almost too much to resist. Her eyes began to slip lower when he spoke nearly sending her into a tailspin. "You scared the begeezers out of me," she squeaked. "I thought you were asleep." He chuckled, his eyes still masked by his forearm. His laughter died quickly, however, when he sat up on his elbows and saw her standing in the doorway. She wore a white sleeveless sleep tank with thin straps and a narrow rim of white satin ribbon. Her thin, blue and white cotton shorts hung low on her hips. Her cheeks were flushed and her hair was damp. He had never wanted a woman more. He unashamedly raked his eyes the distance of her small frame. He took his time, head to toe, pausing at her lips, her breasts, and her abdomen. His eyes traveled the length of her legs and back up to her waist. Her legs were lean and muscular. He couldn't help but wonder what they would feel like tangled up with his own. Recognizing his desire, she felt the heat rise on her neck and across her cheeks. The flutter low in her gut started a chain reaction that traveled up her spine and through her heart ending as a small swell in her breasts. She wanted this man, and he knew it. The reactions he evoked in her were beyond physical, but right now, the physical was overpowering. Her feet seemed to move of their own free will. She placed first one knee and then the next on either side of his calves so that she straddled his legs. She crawled on hands and knees up the length of his body until her eyes were locked directly over his. Steve smoothed her hair back from her face and knotted it in one hand behind her neck. He used his free hand to pull her face to his. His lips parted as they met. He could feel his control slipping as he explored her mouth, her chin, and her neck. He flipped her over and rolled so that he was on top of her in one seamless motion. He felt her shudder beneath him. "Are you sure about this," he asked, pulse pounding, searching her eyes for the truth.

"I'm sure that I want you..." she answered. "I'm sure that I want you for more than just this, too."

He kissed her softly, assuring her that they were far more than just this. "Will you stay with me tonight? I just want to feel you next to me."

His sincerity was nearly her undoing. She stroked his cheek and slid her open palm to his neck. He kissed her again, tenderly as if she might break. He lifted himself up and off of her and backed to the floor. He held his hand out to her and she took it, willing to go wherever he led. He took her to the head of the bed and pulled the covers back. He made room for her to pass and followed her into bed. He turned off the lamp on the bedside table and reached for her in the dark. She settled her head on his chest and he pulled her close against him. He played with her fingers sending tingles up and down her spine. She was content to lay cocooned with him in silence, a feeling she hadn't experienced in a very long time. "Lori," he said, his voice thick with concern. "I was thinking about Agent Amari and his involvement in all of this." She lifted her chin toward his voice. "I just want you to be careful. You fit the physical profile our guy prefers. Until we know exactly how Amari is connected to this, I want you with me."

Lori rolled so that she could see his face. "I just can't see how Amari could be capable of the things that we saw on these victims. I've been working this case with him for months now..."

"And he never mentioned Scranton."

"There has to be a reasonable explanation."

"Until we know what that explanation is, promise me you'll stay safe."

She pushed up to her elbows and planted a soft, lingering kiss on his lips. "I promise."

**H5O**

Steve woke curled protectively around Lori just as the sun considered rising. He propped his head on his fist and watched her sleep. He couldn't shake the feeling of dread that had crept into his gut the moment that black Taurus had charged toward her. His gut had been wrong before, but it was rare. He prayed that it was wrong this time, hoping that maybe his feelings for her had his gut in an uproar. "_My feelings_," he thought. He couldn't remember the last time he had actually considered his feelings. Most of his relationships had begun fast and furious literally banging into walls and rolling around on the bed. He had never considered taking things slow before. Maybe it was the nature of his job. Being a SEAL left very little time for fore play much less commitment. Or, maybe it was the women he chose to date. Catherine had been his last recurrent relationship and one of the reasons he had let Lori walk out of his life the first time. Things were simple with Cath. She was a friend with significant benefits. He was angry when he found out she had been seeing someone else, someone on her carrier, but he wasn't jealous. He was angry because she hadn't told him. And when they had effectively ended whatever their relationship was, he hadn't really been all that sad. He missed the sex. He had to admit that, as long as he was being honest, but he didn't actually miss anything else except maybe her military connections. He wondered what kind of man that made him. He hoped that being with Lori would bring him some sort of redemption. She stirred things inside of him that he didn't even know existed. It scared him. It scared the hell out of him, but he knew there was nothing he could do about it now. He had fallen for her and now he had no choice but to protect her and to love her, and perhaps the hardest thing of all... let her love him.

**A/N: Okay, so I'm dying here! No reviews! I am having a blast writing this, just wondering if anyone is still reading?**


	9. Chapter 9: Deloris et al

**A/N: Thank you to all who read and reviewed. Much appreciated! **This was a fun one to write. Hope you enjoy!

**Chpt. 9: Deloris et al**

Thirty minutes outside of Scranton, Steve stopped to fill up the car. Lori watched him through her side view mirror. He was wearing regular guy khaki pants as opposed to his trade mark cargos and a white button down shirt over a white t-shirt. The top two buttons were left tantalizingly undone and his sleeves were rolled up to expose muscular forearms. He squinted into the cold, late October wind. He looked good enough to eat leaned against their little rental car. He caught site of her watching him in the mirror and winked. Busted, she shook her head and opened the door. "I'm gonna' grab a water. You want anything?"

"Yeah, I'll take a water, thanks."

He watched her walk away into the station. She was wearing gray slacks and a fitted, pink turtle neck sweater. It hugged her in all the right places. It had taken her just under fifteen minutes to get ready to leave that morning. Needless to say, he had been impressed. He was struck by her beauty. It was timeless, unobstructed by heavy makeup or pretense. Her hair hung loose in long waves and bounced when she walked. The physical response she evoked from him was becoming a little uncomfortable standing there at the gas pump. He was willing to wait for her. He stood by that, but he hoped she wouldn't make him wait too very long. He cleared his throat and turned his face into the cold Pennsylvania wind, hoping it might cool him off. She could see him watching her through the reflection in the glass door. "_Hah, you're as bad as I am,_" she mused. Inside the station, she pulled out her phone and made the call she had been avoiding up until last night. "Hey, Mom... I'm good. Guess what... I'm in Scranton... Yes, Pennsylvania. I'm headed to Mansfield, for work, but when I'm done there, I'm headed home... No, I'll call you when I leave Mansfield... Me too... Bye." Steve pulled the car up by the door as she was exiting the station. She slid in the passenger seat and dropped her phone back in her bag. "I was just talking to my mom."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. I told her I would try to come by when we left Mansfield."

"Good. I was hoping you might change your mind."

"What do you mean?"

"I got the impression you were avoiding home."

"Not so much avoiding home as avoiding taking _you_ home."

"You don't want me to go with you," he asked sounding genuinely hurt.

"No... I mean yes! Yes, I want you to come home with me. I just..." She huffed out a breath. "I had planned to visit with my family while I was here, but then I thought... well, you were coming with me and I... I told my mom about you... I told her how I felt about you when we worked together. I also told her that we were working together again on this case... I just... I wasn't sure how to introduce you... I didn't want things to be awkward. Then last night happened and... I want you to meet my family. I want them to meet you."

"Then it's settled. We finish in Mansfield and we head to Lock Haven." Her smile was brilliant and her green eyes sparkled with excitement. He suddenly knew that he wanted to be the one responsible for that happiness for the rest of his life. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks, but much to his surprise, he wasn't afraid. He reached for her hand and pulled it over to rest on his leg.

**H5O**

"The Protective Services office is located in the court house on the town square. It should be right up here," she pointed. Steve pulled the car in front of a beautiful historical building built out of orange and black brick. A marker in front commemorated "the incorporation of Mansfield in 1857 as planned and established by Asa Mann in 1804." "There's a lot of history in this part of the country," Steve commented.

"The only thing I know about Mansfield is that people claim the very first night time football game was played here under electric lights on September 28, 1892," she said very matter-of-factly.

Steve looked at her like _how could you possible know that_. She caught the look and chuckled. "My dad's a history professor, remember? Too, my mom's birthday is September 28th so it's one of those random facts I can't forget."

He chuckled at how real she was. Her lack of pretense was one of the things he loved most about her. "_Love?_" he thought.

Inside the Protective Services office, Steve and Lori were directed to Mr. Charles Craig, the man in charge. Mr. Craig had been with the agency for thirty-two years. While he didn't remember Markus Williams personally, he was glad to pull the file and take a look. "Let's see," he said as he plopped down into his chair and pulled on his reading glasses. He opened the file and continued. "Markus Aaron Williams entered the system in May of '93 when his mother passed. There was no next of kin willing to take him so he was sent to foster care until the age of six when he entered the Tioga County Military Academy."

"He was sent to military school," Lori asked, shocked.

"Children are rarely adopted past the age of three, Ms. Weston, especially boys. Tioga County houses ten boroughs and twenty-nine townships. Each year, foster children ages six through nine are given a standardized test to judge their aptitude for science, math, and reading. Five children are granted scholarships to the academy based on their scores. Mr. Williams was one of those children. I assure you the Tioga County Military Academy is a fine place for a boy to grow and learn. He received a premier education at no charge to him. That along with military discipline is exactly what a boy with no family and no connections needs. He was blessed to have that opportunity. I'm sure you would agree, Commander McGarrett?"

"Yes, Sir," Steve responded. Lori shot him a murderous look. "Is there anything else in his file... Any trouble at the academy?"

"Not that I'm aware of. There's no trouble listed in his file. Perhaps you would like to talk to someone at the academy. Major General Ronald Flannigan, retired U.S. Marine Corpse is in charge over there. He's a good man."

Steve and Lori collected the address and headed back to the car. The wind was picking up and the sky had turned silver gray. Lori stopped on the steps of the courthouse and breathed in the winter wind. "It might snow."

"Really?" Steve said with more than just a hint of excitement.

"It's a little early in the year. If it does snow, it probably won't be too much." She watched him survey the thick, silver clouds with a curious and hopeful expression. "You've seen snow before, right?"

"Nope, never have."

"What! Haven't you traveled, like, all over the world?"

"Yep, but I always end up where it's hot. I'd like to see it snow," he said with a boyish grin on his beautiful face.

At the Tioga County Military Academy, Steve and Lori were introduced to Retired Major General Ronald Flannigan, a hulking figure at six feet five inches with a military high and tight haircut and shoulders broad enough to block the sun. "Commander, huh? What do you do for the Navy, son?"

"I was a SEAL, Major General, Sir."

"Was? I thought once a SEAL, always a SEAL."

"Yes sir. I'm on inactive duty at present, Sir. I head a task force for the governor in Hawaii."

"I see. And you, Ms. Weston, you've been with the bureau, how long?"

"Three years in total, Sir. I've worked for Homeland Security for most of my career."

"I see. Please have a seat," he said and motioned them to two ornate chairs made of heavy, dark wood positioned across from his desk. "What can I do for you?"

Lori was more than happy to let Steve take the reigns on this one. He was clearly comfortable with military authority whereas she felt like she had been called to the principal's office.

"We're investigating a series of murders, young women, that began in Scranton, Pennsylvania two years ago. Our suspect, Markus Aaron Williams, attended your academy on a scholarship awarded to children who are in foster care in Tioga County. He would have graduated in '07 or '08. We were hoping to speak to any teachers or counselors that might have known him, see his records if possible."

"I see," he said, thoughtfully. "What exactly are you hoping to find, Commander?"

"Just trying to get a sense of the man, Sir."

His hard stare moved slowly and intently to Lori. She met his eyes unflinchingly, hoping he didn't notice how nervous he actually made her. He was an intimidating man to say the least. He reached for his phone. "Ms. Langston, could you gather the files and records, anything we have, on a graduated cadet, name Markus Aaron Williams, please. Find out which housing unit he was assigned to and give me the name of his residential advisor... Thank you, Mam." Major General Flannigan leaned forward in his chair, fingers clasped and resting on his desk. "I'll allow you to investigate, but once you complete your enquiries, I expect the courtesy of a full debriefing."

"Yes, Sir, Major General," Steve promised. Lori simply nodded her head once in agreement.

"I believe you met Ms. Langston on your way in. She'll be happy to guide you in any way."

"Thank you, Sir." Steve extended his hand to the man across the desk. Flannigan pulled him slightly forward and held his grip. "I trust your investigation will focus solely on your suspect. We do our best here with what we are given. The reputation of this school is exemplary, with good reason. I'm sure that once you have completed your investigation, you'll agree."

"I'm sure... Sir." Steve answered, meeting his stare and his grip in kind.

"That was fun," Lori snarked while they waited for Ms. Langston to return.

"He's just letting me know that protecting his school is his first priority."

"Commander McGarrett, Ms. Weston, here are the records you requested. You can take them in the conference room across the hall. If you need anything, I'll be right here."

"Thank you." Steve followed Lori into the conference room. Military swords and ancient guns encased in shadowbox frames hung along the walls. A river stone fireplace decorated the entire far wall. The conference room table was beautiful, made of oak she thought. She bet five men couldn't lift it if they had to. The thick beams exposed overhead gave the antiquated war room legitimacy. She could almost picture George Washington meeting here with his advisors during the Revolutionary War. Steve spread the contents of the file on the table. There wasn't a whole lot of information to go through. "Graduation photo," Steve said holding up a 5X7 of a young cadet in uniform. Lori reached for the photo. "_What happened to you_," she wondered as she studied the face in front of her. Although he wasn't smiling, as was typical for a military photo, he had pleasant features. His skin was dark with an olive tint and soft, not at all rugged like Steve's. She focused on his eyes, but they were shadowed by his uniform cap. She laid the photo to the side and continued to peruse the papers on the table. His grades were excellent earning him multiple academic accommodations. There were copies of letters of recommendation for admissions and scholarships to colleges both in state and out of state. Lori noted the names under the signatures of each one. The letters described Williams as disciplined, intelligent and hardworking. By all accounts, he was a normal well-adjusted young man.

"Steve, look at this," Lori said grabbing his attention. He moved closer and looked over her shoulder. "They must keep bank accounts here on campus. This is his transaction history. He still has $5,000.00 in his account."

"It looks like he deposited $5,000 every June from the time he enrolled here until he graduated," Steve said flipping through the papers.

"Williams was born in June. I saw it on his birth certificate. Someone sent him money for his birthday every year. He graduated and left before he received the last amount."

Steve kissed her on the forehead and went to get Ms. Langston. Lori continued her search. A few minutes later, Steve poked his head in the door. "We're going to the campus depository."

Ms. Langston turned them over to Morris Atherton, CPA. He had been in charge of the campus depository for nearly thirty years. He was a rotund gentleman, quite obviously not of a military background. He wore black pants and a maroon suite coat. Eager to help, he seemed very pleased to be in the presence of Ms. Weston. "Yes, I remember Mr. Williams. He received $5,000.00 in cash via certified mail every June. The campus clears in the summer except for a select few year-'round students. Very few depositors during the summer months."

"You mean the scholarship kids, sent here by the state," Lori confirmed.

"Among others, yes."

"Did you know him well?" she asked.

"No, I can't say that I knew him well. I'm sorry."

"There's still $5,000.00 in his account. It must have been delivered post graduation. You wouldn't happen to still have that certified letter would you?"

"You know, I just might, Ms. Weston. Let me check."

Lori's cell phone rang. "Hello?.. Yes, hello... You did?... That would be great, thank you. I'll pick it up tomorrow."

"Who was that," Steve asked.

"_That_," she said with emphasis, "was Professor Morgan. His secretary found the ID badge. We have a current picture."

"Here it is," sang Mr. Atherton waving a brown envelope in his plump little hand. I had it stapled to the account signature card. I signed for it on June 17th because Cadet Williams had already left. There was no forwarding address, so I'm afraid the money is just setting here."

"May I see the envelope," Lori asked sweetly.

"Of course," he said and happily handed it to her.

She held the oversized envelope between her thumb and forefinger touching as little of it as she could. "It's postmarked Honolulu. There's a birthday card in here," she said and used a pencil from Mr. Atherton's desk to slide the card out. There was no signature, just "Happy Birthday and good luck at University". "May we keep this?"

"I don't see why not."

"Thank you Mr. Atherton. We appreciate your help."

"My pleasure, Ms. Weston. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"There is one thing. If Mr. Williams was going to confide in anyone, like say a teacher or a counselor, who would it be?"

"Probably his resident advisor. That information should be in his file."

Lori nodded. "Thank you again."

"You're welcome, dear."

Williams's resident advisor and letter of rec. instructors were a bust. No one remembered anything in particular about Markus other than he was intelligent and disciplined. He had friends, they were sure of it, but no close friends that anyone could recall.

Lori and Steve again met with Major General Flannigan to share their findings. Satisfied that the academy's reputation was in no imminent danger, Flannigan wished them well and sent them on their way.

Steve could see that Lori was sorting through the details and possibilities of their findings at the academy. She held the graduation 5X7 out in front of her and chewed on the inside of her lip. "What are you thinking?"

Her eyes floated absent mindedly to his. "Hum?" she mumbled.

"I said, 'What are you thinking'?"

"I'm thinking Amari sent the money. He's the Honolulu connection. I just don't know why."

"Let's see if the grandmother can tell us why."

Lori nodded and Steve punched the rental car in gear. It had taken them twenty minutes to reach the academy in Blossburg. It took them less than ten to make it back to Mansfield. It seemed even the curvy roads of Pennsylvania were not immune to Steve's speed. Lori hadn't noticed, however, so lost in thought and worry. When this was done, there would be consequences for both her and her friend, Amari. "What was the number?" she heard Steve ask, but it took her a second to process.

"What?"

"House number? We're on Lee Street."

"Oh," she answered and grabbed her notepad. "It's 122"

The houses on Lee Street had seen better days. Most of them were in a general state of disarray, needing paint, gutter repair and basic upkeep. The house at 122 Lee Street was no exception. The wooden steps leading to the front porch had long ago fallen in. There was, instead, a make shift ramp fashioned out of rotting plywood connecting the porch to the ground. Steve hopped up onto the porch via one jump and turned to help Lori. She opted for the still in tact step supports, placing a toe on one and grabbing Steve's outstretched arm. In the end, it required very little effort on her part as Steve practically lifted her to him. He paused to enjoy the feel of her pressed against him before letting her go with a wink. Lori knocked on the door, listening closely for any stirrings behind the closed door. Moments later, Deloris Williams opened the door wearing a pink velour sweatsuit and holding a thin cigarette between her lips. She sized up Lori, head to toe, and turned her attention to Steve without so much as a word.

"Deloris Williams?" he asked.

Her scowl was quickly replaced by a hungry smile. "That's right," she said shifting her weight to one hip and securing her cigarette safely between two fingers. She raked her eyes over Steve's physique, and licked her lips approvingly. He extended his hand and introduced himself. "I'm Commander Steve McGarrett. This is my partner Lori Weston." Deloris placed her fingertips in his hand and descended the short step as if he were helping her out of her royal carriage. He scuttled back to give her space which she quickly negated. Lori watched Deloris as she sidled up next to Steve and stood before him rocking back and forth on her toes as if they were dancing. She could smell the liquor rolling off of her breath.

"What can I do for you, Commander," she purred.

"We would like to ask you a few questions about your daughter and your grandson, if you don't mind."

She squinted her eyes and pursed her lips, mulling over his request. "I'll tell you what," she whispered and patted his chest lightly with one hand. Steve ventured a glance at Lori who stood behind Deloris with a bemused expression on her face.

"I'll tell you everything you want to know," Deloris continued, "for a small fee."

"A small fee?" Steve asked.

Lori's eyebrow shot up. "_This ought to be good_," she thought.

Deloris floated even closer to Steve, so close that she was now leaning into him, both hands flat on his chest. "Why don't you send the little princess over there to the corner store. Have her pick me up a case of something cold and delicious, the good stuff, you know. And maybe a carton or two of Virginia Slims. Then you and I can go on in and have a talk, just the two of us, and I'll answer any - question - you - want - to - ask." She emphasized her willingness to cooperate by walking her fingers up his chest and tapping him teasingly on the tip of his chin.

"Ms. Williams..."

"Deloris, honey. Call me Deloris. Don't look so worried, Commander. I don't bite," she said through a giggle. "Besides," she continued, a bit more soberly, "my offer is nonnegotiable."

Steve looked at Lori as if to say, "_What choice do I have_?"

Lori rolled her eyes. "Of for Pete's sake. Give me the keys," she said with an outstretched hand. "Beer and cigarettes, Ms. Williams? Is there anything else?"

"Yeah, now that you mention it, princess. Why don't you bring me a couple of Kitkat bars, too. I just love those things."

Lori drew in a deep breath and smiled as sweetly as she could. "Kitkat bars... Yes, Mam."

Steve handed her the keys and whispered, "Be careful. Watch your back."

"Oh I think you better heed your own advice there, lover boy."

Steve followed Deloris inside. As bad as the outside of the house appeared, the inside was worse. It smelled like cat urine and looked as if it hadn't been cleaned in years. Old White Castle bags and empty beer cans littered the floor and the coffee table. Steve sat on the edge of a fold-out chair across from Deloris who leaned back on the couch.

"Deloris, I'd like to ask you a few questions about your daughter, Darlene, if I could."

"Not much to tell. She's been dead for twenty years or more."

"I know. I'm sorry for your loss."

"No loss, really. She was crazy, just like her father. They're both better off."

"Deloris, your daughter committed suicide, is that right?"

"Yeah, that's right. She took all her pills at once. Found her dead in the bathroom the next morning."

"Was there a particular event or incident that gave her reason to do such a thing?"

"You want to know why she killed herself? It was that demon spawn of hers. That girl lost her mind the minute that baby was born."

"What do you mean?"

"She started hearing voices, same as my husband. His started when he got back from Vietnam. I was sixteen when Darlene was born. Dewey was home three weeks before he lost it completely. Four months later he was dead and I was raising Darlene by myself."

"I'm sure that wasn't easy."

"No, it wasn't, but Darlene was a good girl. She worked hard, made good grades, and stayed out of trouble. She was pretty, too."

"What happened?"

"She moved to Allentown with two of her girlfriends, found a job at a coffee shop downtown." Deloris took a long, steadying drag from her cigarette. "She started dating some man that worked across the street; came in the coffee shop every morning. She got pregnant; told him as much and he left her. Come to find out he was married. He sent her money to buy things for the little bastard after he was born, but Darlene just wanted him. Sent the kid money every birthday, too. That always sent Darlene into a tizzy"

"Did you ever meet him?"

"Hell, no. He was way too good to come around here. You want know something funny? Bastard grew up two boroughs over, in Wellsboro. He got transferred right before the boy was born." Deloris chuckled, but there was no humor behind the laugh. "Darlene always held out hope that he'd come back and marry her, make them a family. Like I said, she was crazy."

"Did Darlene tell you his name?"

"Nope. All she ever said was he had his daddy's eyes. They were yellow. Looked like demon eyes. Damnedest thing you ever saw. Yellow with swirls of blue that sort of changed color depending on his mood. Darlene loved his eyes. I thought it was creepy. She dumped him here when she set off on a tare. After she died, they asked me if I wanted to raise him. I couldn't, you know. I'd already raised my girl... watched her and her daddy die, too... I just couldn't do it again. You understand, right?"

"Deloris, did Darlene ever tell you anything about the man in Allentown? Where he was transferred to? What kind of work he did? Anything at all."

"Like I said, the only thing I know is he was from Wellsboro, and he worked for Uncle Sam. He was an agent of some kind. Darlene always had a thing for secret agents... loved those damn James Bond movies."

"Deloris, do you remember the names of the girls Darlene moved to Allentown with?"

She shook her head. "That was a long time ago... I don't want to answer any more questions right now. You know what they say," she sang and leaned forward to grab another cigarette. "All work and no play..." She took another long drag from a newly lit cigarette and blew out the smoke in a series of rings that floated and then dissipated into nothing. She tapped her ashes into a discarded beer can and stood slowly, exaggerating her movements for Steve's intended benefit. He looked at his watch wondering what could be keeping Lori. Deloris circled the coffee table and stopped behind Steve. She drug one long nail from one shoulder to the other across his back. "What do you drink, sailor," she asked, voice deep and husky.

"Oh, nothing for me, thanks. I'm good," he said wondering how he was gonna' get out of this one. Deloris disappeared into the kitchen, presumably to fetch another beer.

"Steve!" he heard someone call from out front.

"Thank you," he whispered lifting his eyes upward and all but ran for the door. Lori stood on the sidewalk in front of the porch, arms weighed down with Deloris's requests.

He collected Deloris's bounty and deposited the items just inside the door. Deloris followed him onto the porch. "You leaving so soon," she asked.

"Yes, Mam. We have a few more stops we need to make."

"You have a card or something I can have? Just in case I think of something else?"

"I think we have everything we need. Thank you Deloris for your time."

"Anytime, Commander." Deloris leaned on the porch column, teetering dangerously, cigarette in one hand, beer in the other and watched Steve all the way to the car.

"So, how did it go with Deloris?" Lori asked, smirking.

"Very few things in this world scare me, but Deloris is one of them."

Lori chuckled. "What did you find out?"

"Darlene heard voices, so did her father. Hers started after Markus was born."

"She was schizophrenic," Lori deduced. "It's an inherited disorder. There's a good chance Markus is schizophrenic too. It usually shows up in young adult hood, typically during a time of trauma or stress. There's usually a trigger of some sort."

"Like giving birth and being left behind by the father."

"Yeah, that would certainly do it. "

"Darlene overdosed on prescription medication."

"Let's go back to the court house. I want to look at the autopsy report. Did she say anything else?"

Steve glanced at her, unsure how to begin. "She said Darlene fell for a married man in Allentown. He was an agent," he said slowly, "from which agency, she didn't know. He grew up in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. He sent Darlene money, but he never came around. He was transferred right before the baby was born."

Lori's face paled as everything clicked. "He's the father."

"If you mean Amari, that's what I'm thinking too," Steve agreed.

"Pull over."

"What's wrong," he asked as he slowed the car.

"Just pull over, please." Steve did as she asked and Lori threw open the door. She walked to the back of the car and leaned over. She couldn't breath. "This can't be happening," she mumbled.

Steve approached her cautiously. "Lori…"

Her head shot up. "Amari is Markus's father. What am I supposed to do with that?" She was hyperventilating and Steve wasn't sure what to do about it. "I don't know, yet, but we'll figure it out. Let's look at the autopsy report; get what you need there. Tomorrow we'll pick up the ID badge. I'll call Danny and see if they have anything new." He bent to maintain eye contact. Once again catching her eyes, he placed a gentle hand on each side of her face and stepped closer to her. "We're gonna' get this guy and we'll deal with Amari in the process. I know he's your friend and I know you trust him. I believe in that. I believe in you, just like you believed in me when things were crazy with Joe and Shelburn. We'll do this together, okay?"

He was her touch stone and she trusted him. If he believed that everything would be okay, then she did too. Her breathing began to level. She closed her eyes and took in a long breath through her nose, slowly releasing it through her mouth. Steve pulled her to him and wrapped her in a reassuring embrace. She laid her ear over his heart and let the strong, steady rhythm calm her.

**H5O**

The autopsy report confirmed what Lori had suspected. Darlene was indeed schizophrenic. The tox report listed several antipsychotics including Clozapine, Thorazine, Asenapine, Olanzapine and Risperidone present in her system at sufficient levels to cause death. "All of these meds are used to treat schizophrenia, just not at the same time. Thorazine would have been prescribed for acute episodes as would Asenapine, but not together. Olanzapine is a maintenance drug. It could have been used with Risperidone for generalized anxiety. In the late eighties, early nineties, Clozapine would only have been prescribed for refractory schizophrenia. It has lots of side effects, one of which is increased risk of suicide."

"So Darlene's mental problems were severe?"

"So it would seem."

Steve was relieved to hear Lori's voice steady and confident, again. The autopsy report had given her something more to think about than Amari and his very personal involvement in this case. "So what exactly is schizophrenia?" he asked intent on keeping her focused on something other than her friend.

"It's a mental disorder that makes it impossible to tell the difference between what's real and what isn't. Schizophrenics have hallucinations that are as intricate and multifaceted as real life. Did you see the movie, 'A Beautiful Mind' with Russell Crowe?"

"Yeah, I did."

"That was a true story. Russell Crowe's character, John Nash, was schizophrenic. The hallucinations, like Professor Nash's are usually accompanied by paranoia or bizarre delusions. There's no cure, but antipsychotic help."

"Do they have multiple personalities?"

"It's rare. Multiple personality disorder is not inherited. It usually results from trauma, especially sustained trauma usually of a sexual nature. Unfortunately, because schizophrenia is inherited, sometimes children of schizophrenics grow up in situations conducive to that type of abuse, but no, the two disorders are in no way related."

"I thought you were a phys ed major. How do you know all this stuff?"

"You should have read my file a little closer, Commander. I double majored in criminal psychology. There's a lot of regular psychology mixed in there, too."

They drove on in a comfortable silence. Lori played with the soft curls at his neck and watched as the familiar landscape of her childhood passed by outside of the window.

"How much further," Steve asked

"Maybe ten minutes or so."

"You gonna' call them and tell them we're almost there?"

"No," she said wistfully. "I think I'll just surprise them."

Her smile was genuine and Steve was glad to see it. He intended for her to focus on her family tonight while he focused on her. The case would still be there tomorrow and together, they would deal with all of it then.

**TBC**

**A/N: Thank you for reading. Next chapter we're off to Lock Haven. Should be sweet and fluffy... well mostly. **


	10. Chapter 10:  Lock Haven

**A/N: Thank you to tkidd for all the information. I've never been to PA so I much appreciate all the help! Sorry for the long delay, but this chapter was really difficult to write! Family dynamics is kind of boring to tell you the truth. I spiced it up as much as I could. Oh and there's some Steve/Lori spice as well. Hope you enjoy!**

**H5O**

He stared at the pictures that covered the walls in the tiny, square room. There were so many girls. What a terrible mission he and his team had been given. He had to remind himself that his work, although done in confidence for a boss who only left him secret assignments, was noble... done for the greater good. Each girl had been responsible for great anguish, their individual crimes unforgivable. He trusted that was true, but he sometimes wished that he knew what exactly each girl had been guilty of. The agents had warned him that the files kept on the girls were classified. He was told, should he accept this mission, his orders were never to be questioned. He looked at the girls from Pennsylvania. He had been tasked with following them, photographing them, and gathering intel on their habits and routines. He then turned the information over to Agent Adam Milliken via a PO Box on the university campus, the same box where he received his assignments. Six months later, they moved their entire operation to Kentucky. He had again been tasked with gathering intel. He looked over that group of pictures next. He had struggled a little with Holly wondering how someone so lovely could be so bad. Agent Milliken had explained that that was her game. She used her beauty and her charm to deceive and destroy. The girls in San Antonio had been harder to track. The city was huge, everyone moving in different directions. It made his job difficult but not impossible. Here in Hawaii, people moved at a slower pace. He was enjoying himself here on the islands. His photographs were stunning if he did say so himself. Hawaii provided breath taking backdrops. Even though his job was not about the beauty in the photos, surely it didn't hurt to enjoy your work a little. "_This fourth girl_," he thought as he ran a hand over a close up of her tying her shoe outside of her apartment. She made him question his assignment for the first time since joining the team. She was different... smart, accomplished, self disciplined. He loved photographing her whether she was eating lunch in the park, heading for a run, or walking to work. He wondered what she could have done to land her in Agent Milliken's cross hairs. He hadn't seen her in a few days and he was starting to get a little antsy. He wondered if she was sick, or maybe she was just working too much. She worked a lot of hours. It made her easy to track, but photographing her at night was difficult. He would look for her again in the morning. Until then, the illusive Agent Milliken would just have to be patient.

**H5O**

**Chpt. 10: Lock Haven**

Lori watched as familiar childhood landscapes zoomed by her window. "I should probably tell you about my family," she said suddenly, the pitch in her voice a little higher than usual.

"Alright," Steve said curiously.

"They're a bit of a motley crew."

"They're an '80s band?" he joked trying to lighten the mood.

Lori chuckled, not used to hearing Steve make such impromptu quips. "You know my dad is a history professor. He teaches American Studies; obviously that's pretty big in this part of the country. Well, he's also a farmer... He grew up farming... crops and a small dairy herd. Outside of farming and teaching, though, he' a bit of a goof. Brilliant, but still a goof. He's full of military history so when he finds out your a SEAL, you're toast. If it gets out of hand at dinner, my mom will take care of it. She's really good at reeling him in. He even named my brothers after Revolutionary War heroes. My oldest bother, Harmon George, was named for one my great, great, however many greats grandfather who served with George Washington and obviously George... My middle brother, Thomas John, was named after Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. We call him TJ. The youngest brother is Benjamin Patrick after Ben Franklin and Patrick Henry. So, you can see that my dad is a little quirky to say the least, but he's an amazing man."

"Who are you named after, Lorali Elizabeth Weston?" he teased.

"My grandmothers, thank goodness. My mom swears that if my dad had had his way, you be setting here talking to Eunice Lee Weston."

"Ohhhh," Steve winced.

"Yeah... My mom put her foot down on that one."

"Good thing." Steve looked out the window at the fall foliage. "You know, I've been a lot of places, but, until now, I've never seen any place as beautiful as the Big Island. Completely different, but just as breathtaking."

"Ummm, the fall is my favorite time of year here. There's a pretty deep patch of woods next to my parents' farm. This time of year, it looks like its on fire with all the reds and oranges, and yellows. As you move deeper in, the elevation increases, significantly; that's why it was never cleared. Makes for great hiking, though. When I was a kid, I used to pretend that those trees were lava because of all the colors and that it was rolling down from a huge volcano. I would pretend that my tree house, which is amazing by the way, was my ship. It was lava proof, of course, and it carried me to all sorts of exotic places. I spent a lifetime in that tree house. I spent most of my teenage years exploring those woods."

Steve watched her slip back in time in her mind. She looked happy, her hands animated with excitement. "I wish we had more time," she said more to herself than to him.

Steve checked his watch. It was 4:30 in Lock Haven. They would have just enough time for dinner and a short visit. "Why don't we come back tomorrow and spend the day. We'll catch a flight out on Sunday."

Lori looked at him as if he had suddenly grown a second head. "We couldn't do that... Could we?"

"I don't see why not. It's the weekend. We won't meet up with your team or mine until Monday, right?"

A smile began to spread across her face. She chewed on her lower lip, obviously tempted. "I haven't actually booked a return flight, yet," she said eyes wide with mischief.

"So Sunday it is."

"Remind me to kiss you later," she cooed.

"Oh, I will," he promised. The look on his face sent a shudder down her spine. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks and had to look away. She suddenly realized how close they were to her parent's road.

"You're gonna' turn right, just over this hill." Steve slowed the car to a respectable speed.

"Right here," Lori pointed.

Steve guided the car onto a narrow road, just wide enough for a car and a half. A three foot stone fence that appeared to be as old as time itself lined the landscape on each side. Well established ivy climbed the worn, slick stones tumbling over the ledge in a tangled heap only to reappear as thick and green as before. Delicate, lacy white wildflowers sprang up in bunches. They danced and swayed along side purple blooms and yellow blossoms in stark contrast to the grays and taupes of the ancient stones. They drove at a snails pace for the next mile so awe struck was Steve with the unexpected beauty that surrounded them. A break in the stone fence revealed a long, paved driveway that disappeared around a curve and into a thick line of trees. Two lean and muscular quarter horses romped in a pasture just off the road. Two more grazed lazily, content to watch the others play. "My oldest brother's house is down there. He runs the dairy operation. My dad likes the crops, always hated the dairy work, but Harm loves it. When he was in high school, my grandfather started grooming him to take it over. He's doubled the size of the herd to 300 or so and made all kinds of efficiency upgrades. He's responsible for 650 acres. My dad works the rest. Over there," she said pointing toward a modern, two story, plantation style home on Steve's side of the road, "is my middle bother's house. He's a physician in town, no interest in farming but he likes to fish and hike so he bought two acres from Dad and built that house with his wife about five years or so ago."

"How many acres does your dad farm?"

"He rotates crops, so it depends on the seasonal plan, but usually he has about 800 acres active."

"You have a third brother, right?"

"Yes, he's a full time writer, part time farmer or maybe vice versa; who knows. Either way, he still lives at home."

The road dead ended onto a cobblestone drive flanked by the same continuous stone fence. Steve stopped unsure if he should drive over the stone path or not. "This drive leads to my parent's house."

"Do we keep driving?"

"Uhuh," Lori nodded.

Steve took a moment to study his surroundings and to orient himself. "So all of this belongs to your family... What, like 1500 acres, or so?"

"Yeah, it's basically a big rectangle. You drive right up the middle of it from the highway. Its 1.2 miles from the turnoff to the beginning of my parent's drive." She shifted in her seat and pointed past Steve. "Our land butts up to a neighboring dairy farm on that side. The two farms run parallel to each other, both terminating at the Susquehanna River. Over hear," she said turning and pointing out of her window, "the farm butts up to a mile and a half of dense forest owned by the state. It's a natural easement, but fifteen years or so ago, a company that builds cell phone towers tried to by the land from the state. My dad found out about it and called a friend of his from the Audubon Society. They had it declared an indelible ecosystem which basically means it can't be disturbed or destroyed for any reason. The farm runs a little deeper on this side, but the river pretty much cuts straight across the back of the property."

"How old is this farm?"

"Well, Lock Haven was settled in the late 1700s. It was originally one of the frontier forts along the Susquehanna. My great, great, however many greats grandfather Harmon Bartholomew Weston, the one my brother is named after, was a general in the Continental Army. Grandpa Harmon and George Washington met at Valley Forge in, what, 1777 I think. He helped Washington chase the British out of Philadelphia and supposedly fought beside him, as in physically next to him, at Monmouth. At the close of the Revolutionary War, Washington arranged for all of his generals to purchase federal land for pennies on the dollar. This is the land my great Grandpa Harmon bought. It was basically one big dense forest, so he built a small house up from the river and started a timber business. Lumber was Lock Haven's bread and butter for generations. Grandpa Harmon started clearing the land from the center of the property out and used the river to transport his timber. He was pretty successful by all accounts. Once he had the homestead area cleared, he used limestone and river rock to build the house that my parents live in now."

"Wow," was all Steve could muster.

"Yeah, apparently I'm full of useless knowledge." She felt her cheeks flush, a little embarrassed by her monologue. She hadn't been this open with anyone in a very long time. Steve smiled at her approvingly, enjoying the history lesson immensely.

"I'm gonna' call my mom and let her know we're here," she said, quickly changing the subject.

Steve started slowly up the cobblestone drive and pulled the car to a stop in front of a two story Georgian style house quite obviously constructed around the time of America's birth. The stone exterior was safe and inviting. The symmetry, as was typical in Colonial America, gave the appearance of order and strength. The shudders were black, trimming five uniformed windows on the second floor and four on the first. The trellis porch was just wider than the front door, the roof of which was supported by two oversized white columns. Ivy climbed the columns and wove in and out of the slats over the porch. A tall, slender woman stepped through the front door. Lori shot out of the car and flew up the stairs into her open arms. Steve watched over the top of the car, as Lori hugged first her mom and then her dad. She turned toward him and motioned for him to join them. "Mom, Dad this is Commander Steve McGarrett. Steve meet Wilson and Rebecca Weston."

"Hello, Steve," said Lori's mom, flashing him a brilliant and familiar smile. She had the same cat like green eyes as her daughter. They, too, danced with excitement at Lori's homecoming.

Wilson Weston stepped past his wife and extended his hand to Steve. "Commander, huh," he asked shaking Steve's hand vigorously. "You're in the Navy?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Steve's a Navy SEAL, Daddy."

"Excellent, excellent. It's good to meet you, Steve."

"You two come on in," Mrs. Weston said. "Lori you can help me with dinner... Everyone's coming." She threw her arm around her daughter's shoulders, giving her a good squeeze on the way in. "Will," she called, "why don't you show Steve around a bit... but try not to prattle on too much, okay honey?"

Lori and her mother disappeared into the kitchen while Steve got the full tour of the house and it's near surroundings. "That's Lori's tree house," Mr. Weston pointed out as they neared two huge oak trees that likely rivaled the ancient limestone for original occupant status. "When she was five years old, she decided she wanted to build a tree house. It had to have three separate rooms each with its own window and she wanted a view of the sky in the center. So here I was, up in that big oak tree, trimming branches so that her view of the sky was completely unobstructed. It's a real skylight, too," he said proudly. He pointed between the trees. "We built a bridge connecting the two trees and put a ladder on the other side there. I think she climbed this knotted rope more than she used the ladder. She was my little monkey. I still find her in that tree when she comes home to visit." They walked on toward Mrs. Weston's little garden. "I don't grow vegetables, well except corn, but that's considered more of a grain in my line of work, so Rebecca keeps her own little patch of land here close to the house." Mr. Weston smiled as if he were reliving a private joke. He obviously adored his wife. Warmed by the notion, Steve's thoughts traveled to Lori. They walked on toward the river in easy conversation. While Mr. Weston couldn't help but share as much of his beloved history as circumstance allowed, his curious nature governed most of the conversation. Usually twenty questions annoyed Steve, but Mr. Weston seemed to have a sincere interest in Steve and his experiences. He found that he enjoyed Mr. Weston's company immensely. While he was obviously very proud of his home and his heritage, he was also humbled by its beauty and resilience. He seemed to understand that everything we are given in this world is a gift, not an entitlement. Hard work was just a way to say thank you...

"So, spill," Lori's mom demanded as soon as they were clear of the men.

"What?" Lori said coyly.

"Don't 'what' me, Lorali," her mom quipped. "Spill it."

"Well, you know we... reconnected not long ago, when this case started. We had to fly to Scranton to follow a few leads, so here we are."

"And?"

"And, we're taking things slow."

"Aha! I knew it. You're dating."

"Don't get excited. We just... discussed our feelings and such last night. This is all brand new. I just hope it doesn't fall apart when we get back home."

"You really like him, don't you?"

Lori looked at her mom through her lashes. "That obvious, huh?"

"Only to me, Sugar. He's a good man?"

"Yes, he is. He's honest and honorable. I feel safe and respected when I'm with him. He tries to protect me; he always has, but he doesn't treat me like I'm fragile."

"You're in love," her mom grinned.

Before Lori could respond, three little ones came charging into the kitchen followed closely by a petite woman in her mid thirties carrying a toddler on one hip. "Lori! I told Harmon that I would believe it when I saw it." She hugged her sister-in-law tightly and then passed the baby to her. "I'm so glad you're home."

Dinner was wild, to say the least... Three brothers and two wives plus seven kids all under the age of twelve all looking at Steve and Lori out of the corner of their collective eye. Aside from the sideways glances, the family treated Steve as if he had always been a member. When dinner was done, the kids played, the women cleaned, and the men retired to the family room. Steve had never experienced anything like it, but then again, he had never lived anywhere near a farm. The women soon joined the men. Lori sat in the floor in front of Steve's chair. He leaned forward and put a hand on each of her shoulders. The next time Lori looked at her watch, it was 9:30. A lull in the conversation, coupled with a few good yawns from the crowd signaled that it was time to make their exit. "I hate to break up the party, but we've got to get back to Scranton."

"You're not spending the night?" Lori's mom asked, a bit distressed.

"We didn't bring anything with us, but we'll be back in the morning. I want to show Steve around; spend a little more time. We have to fly back on Sunday."

"Then you should spend the night. I still have all your winter clothes upstairs and I'm sure that between your Dad and your brothers, we can certainly find something for Steve." Lori looked up at Steve, giving him the opportunity to bail if he'd rather. What she saw in his eyes warmed her from the inside out.

"Sounds good to me," he whispered.

Mrs. Weston clapped her hands in front of her. "It's settled then. I'll go find something for you to sleep in and some clothes for tomorrow," she said smiling at Steve. He and Lori said their goodbye's to Lori's two brothers and their families. Harmon invited Steve to visit the dairy in the morning and TJ dared him to join them in one of the family football games after lunch. Steve obliged them both and promised to see Harmon bright and early.

Lori led Steve up the stairs to one of the bedrooms on the back side of the house. "This was TJ's room. Ben is across the hall and I'm right next door in Harm's old room. This fireplace is double sided," she said as she lit the gas logs, "so it'll be keeping both of us warm."

Steve sauntered over to her, sending her pulse through the roof. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in close. "I could keep us both warm, you know." He was right she thought. Just being this close to him had her body heated almost to a boil. He kissed her temptingly, slow and easy at first. She wrapped her arms around his neck and ran her fingers hard through his hair. Her response drove his kiss deeper, yet it remained soft and tender.

"Oh!" they both heard at the same time. Lori looked around Steve to find her mother, a small stack of clothes in hand, standing awkwardly at the bedroom door. "_I'm sorry_," she mouthed, eyes wide.

Lori pulled away from Steve and took the pile from her mom. "Thanks, Mom," she said quickly and turned back to Steve. "I think these must be for you. Bathroom is straight down the hall. You'll run right into it." Steve grinned at Lori's embarrassment noting the same grin on her mother's face. "I'll, uh, see you in the morning," she said and followed her mom out of the room.

"Goodnight," Steve sang.

Lori escorted her mother back down the steps. "That was quite a kiss I walked in on," she teased.

"Don't start, Mom," she warned good naturedly.

"I like him Lori, and I think he likes you. Trust your heart on this one, okay Sugar?"

Lori hugged her mom and trotted back up the stairs. She could hear the shower running down the hall. Just the thought of him, naked behind that door had her insides trilling. A thought occurred to her that had her chewing on her thumb nail. She back tracked to Steve's room and opened the door. Grabbing what she needed, she hustled back down to her own room. She changed quickly and checked her reflection in the window. She played with her hair, experimenting with different up does, finally deciding to pull the sides up and into a loose twist at the back of her head. She heard the bathroom door creek and quickly applied a touch of lip gloss before tip toeing to her door. She listened, barely breathing, knees shaking with nerves. Certain she had missed the sound of him passing by her door, "_damn his sneaky ninja skills_," she drew in a steadying breath and opened her door. She yelped when she found Steve standing there, arm raised, ready to knock. He too was surprised and grabbed her on instinct. Her hands flew to his biceps steadying already frayed nerves. "You scared the snot out of me. What were you doing anyway?"

His smart ass answer left him as soon as he looked at her. Without letting go, he stepped back from her, an arms length, to fully appreciate the sight of her. She was standing in front of him looking good enough to eat in nothing more than his discarded white dress shirt. The top three buttons were undone and her hair was swept back from her face. The cold shower he had just suffered through was all for not. He took one determined step toward her and slid his hand behind her neck. Pulling her into a hungry kiss, he spun her and backed her against the door until it closed. She barely had time to register his maneuver before melting into his kiss. He ran his hand down her arms and grabbed her hands with his. Lifting them over her head, he held them there with one hand. He nuzzled her neck beginning just under her ear alternately nipping and kissing, leaving a trail of fire all the way down to her collar bone. His free hand traveled down the length of her arm, gently traversing her breast. Lori lifted her leg and pressed her inner thigh against his hip. He felt more than heard the soft groan in her throat and released her wrists, but she didn't drop her arms. He scraped the back of his knuckles along the outside of her exposed thigh and cupped her bottom. He pressed his body hard against hers. She grabbed the top of his shoulders and wrapped both legs around him, shifting all of her weight to him. He carried her effortlessly to the bed, as he continued to explore her mouth through devastatingly passionate kisses. He laid her on her back and hovered over her, muscles taut from holding his weight. He searched her eyes for permission to continue. Finding every bit of his own desire reflected there, he had his answer. She reached for him, gently cupping his face in her hands. He lowered himself to her and placed agonizingly slow and tender kisses on her lips, her ear, and her eyelids. He ran his hand up the length of her leg from her knee to her hip and up under her shirt... his shirt. He had never seen anything sexier than Lori standing in front of him in his own dress shirt. He laid his hand flat against her abdomen and felt her stomach muscles tighten under his touch. He spread his fingers across her side and traveled up her ribs. His thumb swept gently over her breast and her body responded to his touch. She reached for the hem of his t-shirt and inched it up exposing lean hard muscle. Steve grabbed his shirt at the tag and pulled it over his head. He rolled onto his back lifting Lori on top of him and tossed his shirt behind him onto the floor. He folded his hands behind his head and breathed her in. Lori straddled his hips and leaned forward, gently gliding her fingertips over his chest and down his center line to the waistband of his cotton sleep pants. She sat back on her heals shifting all of her weight to his growing need and freed her hair from the messy twist. Gathering her hair in one hand, she smoothed it over one shoulder and watched him watching her. She reached for the buttons on the dress shirt and slowly began to undo them, one by one. She fumbled with a button, suddenly overwhelmed by what was happening between them. Steve saw the realization as it crossed her face. It only made him want her more. He reached for her trembling hands and covered them with his own. He pulled them down to her side and sat up. Sliding a hand under her shirt, he grabbed her waist and scooted her with him to the headboard so that she continued to straddle his lap. She glowed in the soft light from the fire behind her. He brushed his fingertips up and down the bare skin of her back leaving a trail of fire that burned her to her core. He explored her neck with his mouth sending shockwaves of pleasure down her chest and into her gut. "I think I hear your phone ringing," she whispered, her voice husky and strained.

"I've got voice mail," he mumbled as he grabbed her sides and lifted her up off of her heals allowing his mouth access to her chest. She scraped her hands roughly through his hair and found herself guiding his mouth to sensitive areas that hadn't been handled in years. She had to pull back before she exploded. It wasn't like her to lose control, but never had she wanted a man this much. Steve followed her, flipping her onto her back beneath him. She pressed her hands flat against his bare chest. It was comforting to know that his heart was moving at the same dangerously quick pace as hers. He hovered over her supporting himself on one elbow. His free hand tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and traced an invisible line across her cheek and over her lips, continuing down her neck and between her breasts. He covered her hand where it rested over his heart. "Lori, I..."

They both just about jumped out of their skin when they heard the knock on the bedroom door. "Lori, honey, your phone was ringing. You left it downstairs."

"I'm coming," she said in a strained voice to the door as Steve rolled to the side.

"I'll just leave it by the door. Goodnight."

Lori picked up the phone and said, "Goodnight," to the top of her mom's head as it disappeared down the steps. She closed the door stealing an extra second to calm herself. She turned to find Steve crawling in under the covers. She padded back, still flushed from their encounter and climbed over him to her side of the bed. "It was Danny," she said looking at her phone.

"Of course it was," Steve grumbled. "Can I borrow that phone?" Lori handed it over and Steve held up his arm waiting for her to snuggle in to his side. She threw her arm over his chest and intertwined her legs with his.

"You're timing sucks... Yes, you did. What's up?... We'll be home Sunday... I will." He laid the phone on the table next to the bed. "Danny said to tell you 'hello'."

"Anything new at home?"

"No. They're still canvassing. Nothing suspicious with Amari either." He played with. Her fingers where they rested over his chest. "Listen, I let things go a little too far tonight, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push..."

"Seems to me we were both pretty willing... but thank you." He squeezed her shoulder wordlessly. "Did you know I was almost married once?"

"What?"

"Yeah. I'm surprised Danny didn't tell you."

"How does Danny know?"

"We talked about it a little in the car one time. His name was Peter. We started dating our senior year of high school; went to Penn State together. Four years later, he was headed to medical school and I had no real plan. I wanted to go to Quantico, but I hadn't told anyone. Long story short, he proposed and I said yes, mostly because I thought I was supposed to. He was my best friend and the only man I had ever been with. We were engaged for a year and I guess I started having second thoughts about six months in. The night before the wedding, he found me in my tree house. I was looking out of the window, lost in thought. I don't think I heard him as much as I felt him behind me. When I turned around and saw him standing there, I knew that he knew I couldn't go through with it. He told me not to worry because he wasn't in love with me either... Turns out we were both in it for the wrong reasons. We told everyone the next day at the wedding. Afterwards, at the would be reception, I think we both had the most fun either of us had ever had. We were both free to fly away. It was exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time. Peter was my safety net and my compass and my copilot all wrapped into one. Without him I had to learn to fly on my own."

"Why are you telling me this," he asked gently.

"I just wanted you to know... There hasn't been anyone since Peter. I wondered for a long time if there was something wrong with me. Peter was... is a great guy. He and his family live in upstate New York. We still keep in touch. I wanted to love him, the way a woman loves a man, but I couldn't, no matter how hard I tried. I thought that if I couldn't love Peter then it was likely I couldn't love anyone. I decided to focus on my career instead. I finally realized that Peter and I just weren't meant to be, so I started dating some, nothing serious. I started to think that maybe, in my line of work, being alone was better. I was good with that until I met you. I knew when I left Five-O that things would never be the same. I knew _I_ would never be the same."

"I still can't believe I let you walk away that day."

"I didn't give you a choice."

"Why didn't you let me know you were still on the island?"

"I couldn't very well get over you if I was still chasing you, now could I?"

"You were chasing me?" he teased.

"Not well, apparently," she chuckled.

"Well, no more chasing. You caught me." Lori rolled to her elbows to look at him. Still a little overwhelmed by their recent change in circumstance, she chewed on her lower lip and searched his eyes. He smiled at her lovingly. "You believe me don't you?"

"Yes," she said sincerely, "I believe you." She pulled herself forward and planted a quick playful kiss on his lips. "Morning comes early around here. I'm gonna' brush my teeth. I'll be right back."

He missed her immediately, a feeling he wasn't at all accustomed too. When she returned, she curled up next to him and he felt complete. He rolled his eyes at the cliché, but it was true. He felt complete and no other word could better describe how he felt sleeping next to Lori.

**H5O**

"What's so funny?" Steve asked. Lori was setting next to him at the gate waiting to board their plane home. It was 5:30A.M, Sunday, and he was still a little sleepy. Lori on the other hand had been giggling under her breath periodically for the last fifteen minutes. She shook her head and took another sip of coffee desperately trying to regain her composure. "What?" he asked again and she lost it.

"I was just picturing…" she started and was quickly overtaken by laughter. "I was just remembering your face when the suction broke on the milker…" Another round of giggling and snorting ensued while Steve pursed his lips and nodded, patiently waiting for Lori to find her composure. "I just… I've never seen that face before…"

"Yeah, yuk it up, Dairy Queen. Why don't we talk about that beautiful touch down pass I threw for the win? TJ's fit is something I won't soon forget."

"Yeah, he gets a little competitive. It was a good pass. I'll give you that, but a pass is only as good as the catch, and that my friend was all me."

"I had a good time. You're family is not at all what I expected."

"Oh no? What did you expect?"

"I don't know really, just not that."

"Well, they really liked you too… even TJ."

"We'll stay longer next time. I'd like to do some more hiking. Maybe camp in the woods by your tree house."

He watched as a glorious smile spread across her face. He new full well the implication of his last statement, and he very much enjoyed watching it sink in.

She laid her head comfortably on his shoulder. "Did you talk to Danny last night?"

"No. Must not be anything new."

"I've been sending Jenkins vague e-mails. I'm sure he's been sharing with Amari and I'm sure Amari suspects that I know more than I'm saying. I think I'll call Jenkins later and see if he'll meet me tonight. I want to go over everything with him before Monday."

"I'll go with you." Clearly, it wasn't a negotiable offer.

She sat up and gave him a little grin. "Can you play nice?"

He shot her a playful scowl. She cupped his face and smoothed the lines of his forehead with her thumbs. "Thank you," she said rather seriously.

"For what?"

"For coming with me. For giving me an extra day with my family."

He said your welcome with a quick, soft kiss.

**H5O**

"Welcome home, princess," Agent Jenkins said sarcastically as he slid into the booth across from Lori. "Miss me?"

"Like a toothache, Jenkins."

"Where's your partner in crime?"

Lori pointed over his shoulder toward Steve as he made his way back to the table. Jenkins rolled his eyes at the sight of him. "So what do you want to talk to me about?"

"We've got a problem," Lori said as Steve slid into the booth next to her.

"And that concerns me, how?"

"Michael, quit being an ass. Our perp, Markus Williams? He's Faruke's son."

"What?" he said not believing it for a second.

"Look," she said and handed him the ID badge from Professor Morgan. "We picked that up at the campus police station last night. William's professor found it for us."

Jenkins studied the photo and the obvious similarities between his partner and his perp. "So they look alike, so what?"

"He was there Michael. Amari was in Pennsylvania. He was there when this whole thing started."

"That doesn't mean he's his son."

"We have evidence."

He eyed the two of them not believing what he was hearing, but seeing they were dead serious. He knew Lori cared about Amari, so he let them continue. "Show me."

They went through the evidence linking Amari to Markus's mother.

"You think he's involved?" he asked accusingly, anger and hurt apparent in his tone.

"No, I don't think he's involved. There's no evidence that points to his involvement, but I do think he's protecting him. He's not part of his son's life, but he's kept up with him and he's supported him. The question is, what do we do about it?"

"I want to see all the evidence you've collected, first."

Lori went through everything they had found and documented. Steve stayed quiet, not wanting to inflame the already tense situation. After much debate and discussion, Jenkins was reluctantly convinced. "So what are you thinking?"

"I think we keep this between us for now. Five-O has been running a canvass in the industrial area where we found the last girl. They had a few hits on the black Taurus before it was torched. Now that we have a photo, we'll see if any body recognizes Williams. Maybe we'll find him."

Jenkins tapped the table with his finger, considering their options. "I'll go along with it for now. But you don't make a move without me, clear?"

**H5O**

Monday morning, the ID picture was enhanced and distributed to the team. Lori reported to Amari that she was more convinced than ever that Markus Williams was their guy. She explained that, oddly enough, there were no photos in his records, but there was evidence that he may have been involved with the theft of Ketamine both at the university and at a vet clinic in Scranton. He was familiar with Ketamine and its dosing. She also told him that, while he was never linked to the disappearance of Rachel Evans, she believed him to be involved. "I believe she was ground zero."

Agent Amari asked very few questions. He requested that she submit a written report along with her expense receipts. He seemed disappointed, somehow, and Lori wondered if maybe a part of him was ready to bear the truth.

**A/N: This seemed like as good a place as any to stop. Action, action, action already written in the next chapter. Hope this one wasn't too long and drawn out. I actually cut out the blow by blow on Saturday with the family. It just got to be a little much. Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading! Would love feedback, suggestions, etc. on this chapter especially, as I don't feel like it was one of my best. Thanks again for reading! **


	11. Chapter 11:Delusions and Personality

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay. Another complicated chapter, but I think things are shaping up nicely. Thanks for reading! A big thanks to those of you who are also reviewing. It really makes writing this worth while! The Steve / Danny banter about Steve and Lori is by suggestion. Thanks for that!**

**H5O: 9:00 AM**

"Heyyyy. Look whose back!" Danny said from the open door of Steve's office. "How was your trip?"

Steve continued to thumb through the mail left on his desk. "It was good," he said, nonchalantly, his face as blank as he could make it.

Danny eyed him suspiciously. "That's it?"

"That's it," he said and buried his nose in his mail so that Danny couldn't see his face.

"Uhuh, I'm not buying it, Babe. What happened with Lori?"

"What do you mean?"

Danny stared at him for a second more before Steve smiled. "What the hell is that?"

Steve's head popped up. "What?"

"That," he pointed to Steve, "on your face? You're smiling, my friend."

"I always smile."

"No," Danny snorted, "you do not smile. You do many things, but smiling is not one of them, at least not like that, you don't."

"As usual, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I'm talking about you and Lori and your trip, and... Wait a minute. That's it."

"What?" Steve said, confused.

"You two hooked up. You like her."

Steve shook his head. "No, we did not hook up and no, I don't like her. I... She's..."

"Son of a bitch!" Steve jumped at Danny's outburst. "You're in love with her."

"No... Maybe... I don't know. I care about her."

"Yeah," he prodded. "And?"

"And, we are not having this conversation right now," Steve said and pointed over Danny's shoulder. He turned his attention to the activity in the hall. Kono and Chin were in the middle of a heated debate. "Hey, what's going on," Steve called as he stepped through his office door.

Chin turned back toward him, and Kono crossed her arms over her chest, obviously unhappy.

"Welcome back, man."

"Yeah, thanks. Is everything ok?"

"Cuz here has a problem with me dating," Kono complained.

"No, I don't have a problem with you dating. I have a problem with you dating Mitchell Young."

"Detective Young?" Steve asked.

"Yes," Chin and Kono said in unison.

"Could we drop it please," Kono asked. "I'd like to get to work. Oh, and, welcome back Boss."

"Thank you. Hey, listen; we have a photo of Williams. It's off of an ID badge. Kono, I need you to enhance it and make some copies. We're gonna' canvas the area again, see if anybody recognizes Williams."

"Will do," Kono replied, grateful for the diversion.

They started the canvas early with very little success. Chin and Kono worked one side of the street and Steve and Danny focused on the other. "So, spill," Danny said.

"What?"

"What do you mean, _'what_'? You're relaxed. You're smiling. What gives?"

"I don't know. I guess I'm in a good mood."

"Uhuh, you're happy my friend. And I know why."

Steve stopped and turned to face Danny. He shrugged his shoulders and started to speak, but hesitated, not sure exactly how much he was willing to share. Danny shook his head impatiently. "What? What does _this_ mean?" he asked mocking the shrug he was just given.

"I like her," Steve said rather shyly.

"You mean Lori, I assume."

"Yes, Lori. I really like her," he said, more definitively this time.

"I can see that. You seem pretty serious."

"Yeah, I am."

"She feels the same way?"

"Yeah, I think she does."

"You met her family?"

"Umhum."

"You liked 'em?"

"A lot," he nodded.

A big, goofy grin spread across Danny's face.

"Oh, here we go," Steve whined and headed down the sidewalk, Danny in tow. "Go ahead, say what you've got to say."

"I'm happy for you, Babe."

"That's it?"

"Yeah. I think it's great, especially if it keeps you in a good mood."

"Right," Steve grunted.

"So, have you told her yet?"

"Told her what?"

"That you love her, genius."

"No," he said very matter-of-factly.

"Why not? You do don't you?"

"It's a little soon, don't you think?"

"Love has no timeline, my friend."

Steve stopped and screwed up his face. "What is that, Shakespeare?"

"Mock me all you want, but I'm right. If you love her, you should tell her, and tell her often. Life is too short for guess work."

Steve's phone rang, sparring him any further Danny wisdom. "Yeah, Chin... Sure... Where are you going; we'll meet you."

He hung up the phone. "That was Chin. They're gonna get some lunch. I say we do the same." Danny nodded and they headed back to the Camaro.

**H5O: 4:30 PM**

"Jenkins, its McGarrett. Where's Lori?"

"She's in a meeting. Her eighteen month review. Why you asking me?"

"We found him."

"Do you have him?"

"Not yet. Two people recognized his photo. Said they had seen him coming and going from an old office building a few blocks in from our canvass. Get Lori and meet us at the crime scene warehouse."

"We'll have to do this without her. The review is mandatory. I'll leave her a note."

**H5O: 5:25 PM**

Vests on and guns at the ready, Danny and Steve took the front while Jenkins, Chin and Kono rounded to the back. First floor... Clear. They met at the bottom of the stairs and ascended military style rotating cover and advance. At the top of the stairs, Steve signaled for the others to spread out against the wall. With one monstrous kick, the door flew open sending a poof of dust into the air. Steve entered first, Danny and Jenkins right behind him. They spread out, searching the interior of the four room apartment. "Boss! In here, I found Kerrie!"

"Danny?" Steve yelled, gun still drawn.

"Clear!"

"Chin?"

"Clear!"

"Jenkins?"

"Clear," he said as he stepped into the room with Steve. Steve holstered his gun and headed for Kono. She was kneeling on the floor next to a badly bruised and beaten young woman wearing a pink mini cocktail dress.

"Did you call the paramedics?"

"On their way," Kono confirmed.

"Kerrie," he said gently. "Kerrie, can you hear me?"

Her lips were dry and chapped. She mumbled inaudibly, in and out of consciousness.

"Steve, you need to see this," Chin said from the doorway. There was an urgency in his voice that had Steve on his feet and moving. "Stay with her Kono."

"Will do."

Steve followed Chin into a small and empty second bedroom. He froze when he saw the display on the walls. There were four organized groupings, one group on each wall. Steve walked across the room to the far wall and immediately recognized the Kentucky victims. He had hung surveillance photos next to pictures of the girls taken while they were being held captive. The decline in their health and the beatings they endured were well documented in the photos. The final picture was a postmortem record of their deaths. Each girl had been cleaned up, dressed in evening wear, and heavily painted with makeup. They were each lying on a blanket as if on display holding a small bouquet of Gerber daisies. Steve shook his head and moved to the next wall where he found the Texas victims.

"Steve, you better look at this," he heard Danny say.

He drug his eyes from the photos and turned to Danny who was standing near the wall by the door. He moved closer to the near empty space and saw four sets of photos. The first two he recognized as the victims from the other two islands. Their series was complete. There were surveillance photos, captivity photos, and a postmortem photo. "This third victim. There's no postmortem photo. The gang war interrupted him. He wasn't finished with her, yet."

The fourth victim, Kerrie, was next. There were only two surveillance photos, both taken the night of her abduction; both pictured her with her friend, Morgan. There were photos of her captivity, including one taken of her in the pink dress they had found her in. "He's been here recently. That's the dress she's wearing now."

He pulled that photo from the wall and flipped it over. "It was processed at Walgreen's. There's a Walgreen's four maybe six blocks from here."

"This one was processed there, too," Chin said holding a photo of the warehouse victim.

When the paramedics arrived for Kerrie, Steve sent Kono with her to the hospital. "Danny, you and Chin go to Walgreen's and see what you get. Maybe he's already turned in his next set of surveillance photos to be processed."

"Got it."

"I'll call CSU. Agent Jenkins, you can stay here with me, see what else we can find."

**H5O: 5:30 PM**

Lori checked her phone as she headed to the parking lot. No messages. She dialed Steve's number but it went directly to voice mail. She decided to text him instead:

"_Just leaving work. 18 month review done! (forgot that was waiting for me). Went well. Going to grab some dinner and head home. Need sleep! Call if anything new. L_"

She meant it, too. She needed sleep. It was already 11:30 PM in Lock Haven. That and the fourteen hour trip had her dragging. She hoped Steve had already turned off his phone and tucked himself into bed too. She stopped for take-out Chinese, her biggest guilty pleasure, and headed home. She ate lazily on the balcony and stretched her legs for a bit, listening to her music, then headed for the shower, completely unaware of the tail she had picked up at the federal building.

**H5O: 5:30 PM**

There you are, sweetheart. "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. That sniveling idiot couldn't find his own ass without directions. I told you I would find her. Now, if you'll get out of my car, I'll get her and bring her in," he said to the agent sitting next to him. He watched as one of the central figures in his complicated delusion slid into the passenger seat of a nonexistent black SUV parked behind him. "Bastard," he grumbled as he pulled into traffic behind his mark. He followed her to the Chinese restaurant and waited patiently for her to return to her truck. He checked his jacket pocket and felt the loaded syringe, one ml Ketamine ready to go. The familiar feel of it tucked inside his clinched fist set his head to pounding. "Oh, no you don't," he said as he pounded his left temple. "You stay in there. This is my collar, you son of a bitch. I'm in charge now. You don't have the balls to do what needs to be done. Every beating they've taken has been at my hand. You understand? It's been at my hand. You and you're buddy are good at snapping pictures and picking out dresses. What a couple of pansies." He was sweating with the effort it took to stay in control of the one body that so many of them shared. He rubbed his palms hard into his eyes and felt the pain give way just a smidgen. "That's right," he whispered. "I'm in charge now."

He again pulled in behind her and followed her to her apartment. He moved quickly to the rear of the complex and waited in the shadows, watching. She slid the door open to her third floor balcony and ate her supper outside like she often did. He watched her as she leaned back in her chair, legs outstretched onto the little table in front of her, headphones covering her ears. He wondered if she would go for a run tonight. He hoped not. His head was pounding and he wanted this done. Finally, she ate the last of her cheap Chinese and headed back into her corner apartment, leaving her sliding glass door conveniently open. He saw the small bathroom light flip on. That was his cue. He mentally reviewed the apartment floor plan. He had been in her apartment one other time, while she was in the shower. Milliken wanted reconnaissance. That's what he provided, that and muscle. The little bastard with the camera was no longer needed. And that kept him out of his head. He slipped through the small garden and across the concrete by the pool. He eased around the corner to the fire escape and started climbing. There was just enough of a foothold for him to scale the side of the building and round the corner to Lori's balcony. He slipped over the railing without a sound and quietly slid the screen door open. "_Good_," he thought. "_She has her music on_.". He could hear her singing along in the shower. He stopped at the hall closet and pulled out the trunk he had seen in there the last time he was in her apartment. He left it open in the hallway and waited for his mark in the bedroom.

**H5O: 7:30 PM**

"Do you recognize either one of these photos?" Chin asked a young man in his early twenties standing behind the photo counter at Walgreen's.

"Yeah, that's one of Mr. Markum's pictures."

What about this one?" he asked holding up a picture of the first victim on Kauai.

"I don't recognize that one, and I'm the only one he'll let process his film."

"Is this Mr. Markum?" Danny asked and showed the attendant a picture of Markus Williams from the canvass.

"Yeah, that's him. Why?"

"Doesn't this photo disturb you a little?" Danny asked pointing to the recent picture of Kerrie lying on the floor, beaten, bruised, and bound. "Or maybe this one." he said pointing again to the picture of the Kauai victim.

"Not anymore."

"What does that mean, not anymore... What, it used to bother you, but now your ok with a guy taking pictures of a dead body?"

"Whoa... What do you mean dead body? That girl's dead?"

"Yes, genius, that girl's dead! Why didn't you report these pictures?"

"I didn't know they were dead. I thought they were acting. MMMMr. Markum said he was taking a photography class at the university. He said he was supposed to tell a story or something in pictures. He said it was called uh, uh... 'Beauty's Last Day'! I think that's what he said, 'Beauty's Last Day'... He said they were models, I swear."

"Okay, okay. Just, settle down," Chin said and helped the boy to a chair at the photo kiosk. "Take it easy," he said gently and shot Danny the stink eye.

"What?" Danny mouthed wordlessly.

"Listen... Jeremy," Danny said reading his name tag. "Is that your name?" The boy nodded, pale faced and very close to hyperventilating. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come down on you so hard. You couldn't have known... Jeremy? Jeremy, are you listening?" The boy again nodded. "Jeremy, this is very important. Does Mr. Markum have any film here now to be developed?"

The boy stopped rocking back and forth in the chair and looked at Danny with ridiculously huge eyes. "Yes... Yes he does... I developed them this morning."

"When is he supposed to pick them up?"

"He said he would be back on Thursday, I think."

"You think? I need you to know, Jeremy," Danny instructed.

"Yes, yes, it was Thursday, because he said... he said that the pictures weren't due until Friday. You know, for his class. I wrote it on the envelope, where it says due date. You can check it," Jeremy squeaked.

"Can you get those photos for me please? Jeremy? Can I have those photos, please?"

Jeremy was frozen to the seat. He turned a very sickly shade of green and promptly threw up all over Danny's shoes.

"Oh, for the love! Are you kidding me with this?" Danny yelled while backing away from the erupting vomit volcano in front of him. Chin hustled behind the counter and grabbed the container labeled "M". Searching through the orders, he found "Markum, William". He tore open the envelope and nearly dropped the stack when he saw the face in front of him. "Danny. Danny! Forget your shoes. Look!"

Danny took the photo from Chin. "Son of a bitch! Did you call Steve?" Chin shook his head and Danny hit speed dial putting the call on speaker.

"Danny, what have you got?" Steve answered.

"Where are you?"

"I'm walking into the hospital. Why? Did you find something?"

Chin stuck a photo of a second blond under Danny's nose.

"Please tell me Lori showed up and she's with you."

"No. Why? What the hell's going on?"

Danny took in a deep breath. "You've got to find her, Steve. The surveillance photo's... There's two girls... She's one of them."

Danny waited for a response, but none came. Steve was already dialing Lori.

"She works at The Blue Oyster," Chin said and showed Danny one of the pictures of the unknown girl standing in front of the restaurant wearing the uniform. "Its downtown."

"Let's go." He turned to Jeremy on the way out. "You see this guy, you call me or the HPD. You got it? We'll be back."

**H5O 7:45 PM**

Danny called Jenkins on the way downtown. The three men picked a table in the back and quietly introduced themselves to the waitress. Danny flashed his badge under the curtain of a menu. "We're looking for this girl. Is she here?"

"That's Sierra. Yeah, she's here. I'll get her."

"Discretely, please," Danny cautioned.

Sierra Tipton appeared moments later. "You wanted to see me?"

Danny again introduced them and showed Ms. Tipton his badge. He motioned for her to have a seat and pulled up a chair, straddling it at the end of the table.

"Ms. Tipton, have you ever seen this man?" he asked and showed her the ID photo of Williams.

"I don't know... maybe. He's not a regular here, but I see a lot of people."

"Ms. Tipton," Jenkins began, "this man has killed fourteen, maybe fifteen women or more over four states. We found his den and rescued a girl today, but he's still out there. He had photos... photos of the women he stalked and tortured and killed."

She paled at the details. "I don't understand. What does this have to do with me?"

Danny's phone rang. "It's Steve," he said and stepped away from the table.

"Ms. Tipton. We found these photos of you," Jenkins said and Chin handed her the stack. She thumbed through them with shaking hands.

"He's after me?"

"We believe so."

"What do I do?" she asked, her voice trembling, the octave rising.

"You keep with your regular routine. We're gonna keep two agents at your home at all times, one male and one female. You'll have a tail, multiple agents at all times. We'll keep an agent here and anywhere else you frequent. You'll be fully protected. If this guy shows, we'll take him. Ms. Tipton, you may be our best shot at catching this guy."

"Bad news," Danny said returning to the table, clearly upset. "Lori's missing. It looks like he took her. Steve's at her apartment now. Jenkins, you take care of things here. Get Ms. Tipton squared away. I'll call you as soon as we know anything."

**H5O: 10:55 PM**

The harder she tried to focus, the more the room spun so she shut her eyes and waited for the waive of nausea to pass. When she tried to move and couldn't, confusion gave way to panic. Her ankles and wrists were bound with duct tape and she was being bounced around like a sack of potatoes. That's when she realized she was in a car, the back seat of a car, and it was moving. Someone was angry. The man driving the car kept screaming at someone who had yet to make a sound. "Son of a bitch!" he yelled. She was facing the back of the passenger seat and, from where she lay, it looked like that seat was empty. "Damn it! This is you're fault, you little bastard. They must have followed you! Milliken is gonna have my head for this. I am not losing this assignment because of you!" The car lurched to the right and Lori slid off of the back seat onto the floor. "Damn it!" he screamed and the car skidded to a stop. All Lori could see from the floor was the night sky above them. The front door opened and slammed closed. She heard him stomping around to the passenger side and again closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. He jerked the back door open and roughly pulled her from the car. He threw her over his shoulder. Lori opened her eyes and saw nothing but green ground cover and dirt, then two wooden steps. She heard a squeaky screen door open and then slam shut behind them. He tossed her unceremoniously onto a bed not far from the front door. Her head felt too heavy to lift, but she could see enough to know that she was in a camper. He paced up and down the short length of the hallway, still yelling and arguing with a silent foe. He let out a guttural growl and slammed the front door. She heard the car peel away. Rolling onto her back, she paused and allowed her stomach a moment to settle. She had no doubt that she had been drugged. The fog in her head and her cotton mouth were a dead giveaway. He had her. She didn't know how he had found her, but he had and she was on her own. She inched her way off of the bed and slid to the floor, again stopping to wait for the nausea to pass. She pulled herself up to her knees and reached for the door. Much to her surprise, it opened. She fell forward onto her bound wrists and pulled herself into the main area of the camper. There were two drawers, one on either side of a tiny sink. In the second drawer, she found a steak knife. Exhilarated by the small gift, she started to work on the duct tape around her ankles. Free of those bonds, she headed for the front door. Outside she found nothing but dark woods in every direction. She had no idea what time it was, but she guessed that night had fallen hours ago. She shivered in her cotton tank and sleep shorts. Having no other choice, she stepped forward with bare feet into the pitch black believing that any place was better than here. Exhausted, her legs felt like lead. Every step required more effort than she thought she could muster but, somehow, she traveled on. She tripped over a root and, unable to catch herself with bound wrists, face planted in rough brush. She rolled onto her back, unable to contain her tears. Between sobs, she heard a noise, something new. At first, she thought it might be the sound of running water and wondered why she hadn't heard it before. She listened closely, barely breathing and realized with a start that it was a motor or an engine... a car engine. She shot up off of the ground in time to see the headlights as they passed over her. The car stopped abruptly. "_It can't be him_," she thought. "_He hasn't had time to go anywhere_." A tall figure emerged from the car. He left the door open and moved slowly toward her before suddenly rushing at her and plowing into her hard, stealing all of her wind. Her head hit the ground with a crack and she immediately saw stars. She was barely aware of him dragging her up by her hair and flinging her into the trunk. Her last vision was of his head connecting hard with hers. Blackness followed. When she next awoke, she knew she was in more trouble than before. The pain cut through the fog. Her head throbbed and she tasted blood. She was lying on a cold, hard floor under harsh, bright lights. The reality of her circumstance came rushing back. Her wrists were still bound with duct tape, but a heavy rope had also been knotted around her wrists and through a metal ring mounted to the wall. There was just enough slack in the rope to allow her to sit up and rub her aching head. When her vision cleared, she recognized the big empty room immediately. She was back at the warehouse where this whole thing first began. She yelped when he spoke, emerging from the shadows on her left.

"Good, you're awake." he said and squatted down in front of her. "I'm sorry, did I scare you?" The expression on his face reminded her of a murderous clown she had seen in a movie when she was young. She had always had an irrational fear of clowns thanks to that stupid horror film. "Not in the mood to talk, are you? I left word with Milliken, told him I had you. It usually takes a few days before I get my orders. Until then," he said and ran a hand over her foot, "you and I get a chance to get to know each other better." She watched him as he talked, trying to form a quick profile. He was rough and sarcastic, and he enjoyed eliciting that yelp from her. She would have to be more careful, more in control. He seemed to believe that she knew who Milliken was. Her lack of participation in the conversation frustrated him. It was Markus Williams all right, but this Markus Williams was very different than what she had expected. Based on what they knew of him and his history, she had pictured him as meek and soft spoken... the kind of guy you probably wouldn't notice in a crowded room, shy and thoughtful. The man standing in front of her was gruff and loud. You would definitely notice him even if it was just to make sure and stay clear of him. "Hey!" He snapped his fingers in front of her nose. "Pay attention." She blinked and tried to focus. "So?" She shook her head, not understanding what he was asking. "I said, what did you do to make the list?"

"The list?" she asked, confused.

"What? Are you stupid? What - did - you - do to make the list?"

"I don't know," she said in earnest.

"You don't know. Wrong answer, doll." He pulled a serrated blade from his jacket pocket and grabbed her bound ankles. She sucked in a breath and tried to move but couldn't. He drug the blade across the ball of her foot carving a deep furrow in the sensitive flesh. She stifled a scream, opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water and watched as blood, her blood, painted the pale floor a scarlet red.

He stood and cleaned the knife off on his pants. He grabbed his head and pressed his palms hard against his eyes. He backed away from her in obvious pain. Slumping to his knees, he growled as if he were fighting his way out of sinking sand. He collapsed on the floor, breathing heavily. Lori stayed very still, unsure of what was happening in front of her. As quickly as he fell, he popped up, took quick stock of his surroundings, and hustled over to where she sat.

"What did he do?" he whispered, more to himself than to her. He pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around her foot. "Here, try to put pressure on it against the floor. I'll be right back." She did as he asked, unable to stop the tears from rolling down her face. He returned shortly with a stack of shop towels and a first aid kit. "Let me see," he said and pulled the jacket away. "Um, that looks bad. I'm sorry. I'll try to be easy." He cleaned the wound with antiseptic. Lori winced. "I'm sorry," he said again and blew on the wound to cool and sooth it before applying a cream that immediately took away some of the sting. He looked at her with kind and sympathetic eyes. "You're gonna' need stitches. I'm sorry, Angel". His lip trembled and a tear escaped from the corner of his eye. He quickly turned his attention back to her foot. "Be brave Angel, okay? I used a numbing cream, but it's still gonna' hurt a little. I'm so sorry." He deftly stitched her wound pausing occasionally to wipe away a wayward tear. When he was finished, he covered it gently with a clean bandage and sat back on his heels, surveying his work. He seemed pleased.

"Thank you," Lori whispered.

He turned to her slowly. "Oh, you're welcome, Angel."

"You're not Markus, are you?"

"Oh good heavens, no!" he chuckled. "That boy would have passed out at the first sign of blood."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Nana, Angel. I clean up all the messes around here. How do you know Markus?"

"I... I don't really. I just know of him." She went way out on a limb, praying her hunch wouldn't lead to more trouble. "He was kind to a friend of mine... Rachel Evans. Did you know her?"

"Rachel Evans," Nana repeated. "Yep, that girl started this whole mess. She was bad news. That's when Bull and Little Man showed up. How did you know Rachel?"

Lori scooted gingerly back against the wall. Treading lightly, she answered as vaguely as she could. "We went to school together... took a lot of the same classes. She said Markus helped her with math."

"Markus is excellent with figures, computers too." She watched as "Nana" started cleaning up the mess they had made. She was clearly a female personality, a grandmother type figure and she cared about Markus.

"How long have you known Markus?"

"Oh, I've been with Markus his whole life."

Lori swallowed hard before pressing on. "How long have the others been with Markus?"

Nana paused, just a hitch really, before continuing her work. "Others?"

"Yes. Like the man that did this to me."

"Oh, you mean Bull. Like I said, he's been coming around for a couple of years now. He's got a bit of a temper, that one. It's good that I'm here to put things right."

"How many are there, Nana?" she asked cautiously.

Nana sat back on her heels and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. She shook her head back and forth before continuing the clean up. "You have to stop asking so many questions, Angel. I'm afraid I'm losing Markus. That little man with the camera, he's already gone. Gone for good I'm afraid. He and Bull worked together for a man neither one of 'em ever even seen. I don't care much for their work. They keep Markus awfully stirred up. Bull killed him, you know... that little man, and he wants to kill Markus too. You make him mad, it gives him strength." She wiped her forehead again where beads of sweat had bubbled and started to roll down her face. "Don't make him mad, child. He don't know about me same as Markus don't know about him." She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. As the pain in her head increased, so did her respiratory rate. She rubbed her eyes and her face suddenly gagging and falling forward onto her hands. Lori watched in horror as the man in front of her transformed into yet another personality. It was terrifying, yet she couldn't help but watch in wonder at the way his face, his movements and mannerisms, even his voice transformed into something new as if he was one man portraying different characters in a one man show. This new character was scared. His eyes were wide, like a deer in headlights. He looked at her and froze. She saw confusion then recognition and understanding.

"Rachel?" he whispered.

"Markus?"

"You know my name."

Lori prayed she was doing the right thing. "Of course I know your name, Markus. I've missed you."

**H5O: 9:05PM**

Danny and Chin arrived at Lori's apartment and found a frantic Steve. "Chin, I'm glad you two are here. I need you to get any and all surveillance footage from this place. I want to know how he got her out of here and what he was driving."

"I'm on it," Chin nodded.

"Danny, tell me what you know."

"There was another girl in the photos we found. Chin recognized the restaurant and the uniform she was wearing. We found her. Jenkins is using her for bait."

"What? He can't do that."

"She'll be well covered. Agents everywhere. If this guy comes for her, we'll grab him. If he has Lori, it may be our only shot at getting her back."

"She wouldn't like it. Using someone like that."

"No, she wouldn't. But it's already a done deal. Jenkins called on the way over here. She's already agreed to help. The kid at Walgreen's said Markus is due back on Thursday to pick up his pictures. The FBI is gonna' keep a couple of agents posted there. "

Steve drew in a deep, shaky breath. "That's three days from now."

"Yeah… How you holding' up?"

"I'm fine," he lied.

"Right. Have you talked to Kono?"

"Yeah, she's still at the hospital. Looks like Kerrie's gonna' be okay. They said we could talk to her tomorrow."

"Good, maybe she can tell us something useful. Did you find anything here?"

"CSU just got here. There's a trail of partial muddy shoe prints. He must have climbed the fire escape and gained access through the balcony door. What do you make of this?" Steve asked and led Danny to the hallway. He pointed out a drag pattern in the carpet leading from the closet door to the front door.

"It looks like a box, maybe or a cooler... or maybe a storage trunk. If he used Ketamine, she would have been out. Maybe she had something like that in the closet. He put her in it and drug her out that way."

Steve motioned for the HPD officer to join them. He showed him the photo of Williams. "This is the man that took her. He's young, mid twenties, dark hair, light eyes, olive skin. He would have been dragging a large, heavy box or trunk. I need to know what he was driving and which direction he went. You talk to everyone in this building and anyone around this building... maintenance workers, gardeners, anyone and everyone. Understand? Get more men down here to help. You report to Detective Williams, got it?"

The officer nodded in response and got on the radio to call in more help.

"What are you gonna' do?" Danny asked obvious concern on his face.

"Do you have those pictures with you?"

"Ah, yeah. They're right here," he said and pulled them out of his pocket.

Steve took the photos and drew in another deep breath. He studied each picture of Lori carefully. There was one of her exiting the crime scene warehouse taken that first day. There was one of her tying her shoe outside of her apartment. There was one of her reading on her balcony, one of her exiting the federal building at night, one of her at the crime scene parking lot the day he charged at her in the black Taurus. His jaw clinched tighter with each picture, his anger threatening to boil over. He ran his thumb over a close-up of her walking downtown, trying desperately to remain calm. He looked up, trying to clear his head and caught site of Agent Amari in the doorway. He slapped the stack of pictures against Danny's chest and charged. He threw Amari across the hallway, slammed him against the wall opposite Lori's apartment and held him there with his forearm. "Where is she?" he growled.

Amari's eyes were huge with shock. His face red from the pressure of Steve forearm against his throat.

"Where is she!" Steve screamed.

Amari pulled at Steve's arm with both hands but it didn't budge. "Tell me where she is!"

Danny and Jenkins pulled at Steve from behind. "Let go! Steve let go! He can't tell you where she is if he's not breathing."

Danny's words slowly registered and Steve loosened his grip. Danny stepped between the two men and walked Steve backwards, away from Amari who was bent at the waist coughing and gasping for air. Steve looked at Jenkins over Danny's shoulder, pointing at him for effect. "I want him in custody. You hear me? Arrest him for his own protection if you have to, because I promise you, if anything happens to her, I'll tare him apart myself."

Amari leaned back against the wall. His voice was hoarse and strained when he spoke. "I don't know where she is, Commander. If I did, I would tell you. I haven't seen my son in twenty years. I didn't mean for this to happen... I only..."

"That's bullshit!" Steve screamed over the top of Danny who was doing his best to hold him back. "You've known from the beginning that it was him. You erased photos, connections... evidence that could have been used to stop him!"

Amari looked defeated. "I'm sorry, Commander. She's my friend too, you know."

"Son of a..." Steve said as he plowed past Danny and landed a right hook square across Amari's jaw effectively dropping him to the floor with one well placed punch. He whipped around to face Jenkins, who took one giant step back away from him. "I want him in custody."

"You have my word."

**A/N: So worry and angst are up next. Plus a little Lori and Markus time. Sadly, this fic has just about run its course and the conclusion is near. Thank you for reading. As always, reviews are greatly appreciated! As pathetic as it may sound, feedback motivates me. I really do like to know what you think and I appreciate any and all constructive criticism.**

**Thanks,**

**Rennie**


	12. Chapter 12: Time With Markus et al

**A/N: Well, I decided to post this last chapter in two parts. I've had so much fun writing this story; it's hard to let it go. Be warned, this chapter is somewhat violent. "Reader discretion is advised!" **

**Chpt 12: Time With Markus et al.**

"You've missed me?" he asked. He sounded so innocent, like a child.

"I've been here by myself, waiting for you to get back... Markus, I want you to look at me. Really look at me."

He studied Lori, her face and her hair. He blinked hard as the image of Rachel melded with hers. He grabbed his head with both hands and winced.

"Markus don't leave me. Markus! Stay with me," Lori pleaded.

His head popped up and she saw the fear in his eyes. "Child, I told you to leave things be."

"Nana! Send Markus back!"

"I'm sorry."

Markus fell limp to the floor. Lori held her breath and prayed he was out. She watched in horror as he rolled to his back and sat up. He looked pissed. "I see Milliken sent his medic to stitch you up." he said and kicked the bottom of Lori's bandaged foot. Somehow she managed not to react. "You think you're pretty tough, huh?" Lori watched him watching her. He started to turn away then whirled back around and grabbed her by the shoulders. He picked her up and held her off of her feet against the wall. She closed her eyes and turned her head. "Look at me." Her brow furrowed, but she didn't open her eyes. "Look at me!" he demanded through gritted teeth. Lori slowly turned her head back to face him and opened her eyes. He dropped her to the floor and she tottered on her wounded foot grabbing at the wall to steady herself. He took one step back and Lori found her footing hoping that was the last of it for now. Without warning he backhanded her across her face. Her head jerked hard to the side and her body followed sending her sliding down the wall, yet she remained silent. "Why won't you scream!" he huffed. He rammed his palms hard into his eyes and his vision blurred. Her silence was driving him away, but he was strong and intended on staying as long as he could. He grabbed her hair and yanked her back up. Her hands flew to his trying to relieve the pull on her scalp. Her eyes grew huge when she saw his fist. She turned just as it connected with her face saving her nose, but sacrificing her eye and driving her to the floor. Somehow, she kept her reaction to herself. He grabbed his head, still fighting to stay in control. In a desperate attempt to assert that control, he kicked Lori hard in the gut lifting her off of her hands and knees sending her crashing into the wall. She landed on her side coughing and gasping for air. Bull stumbled backwards his rage forcing him deeper into his own mind. He collapsed in front of Lori. This time she prayed he was dead. His hand twitched and he drug himself to his knees. Lori lay curled in a ball next to him. He crawled closer to her and she tucked her knees in tighter. A soft voice found its way through the pain. "Let me see you, child."

Lori opened her eyes and studied the man hovering over her. "Let me see, Angel."

"Nana," she said relaxing a bit. She allowed the older woman to help her into a sitting position. "Nana, I need you to talk to Markus," she said through quick, strained breaths. "You have to tell him about Bull. You have to help me explain this to him. He's the only one that can stop him. He has to, Nana, before Bull kills us all."

"Hush now child. Let me look at you. I think your ribs are broken."

"Nana, please listen to me. You have to talk to Markus."

"I can't talk to Markus, child. I love him, and I take care of him, but I aint never talked to him. Now let me see your face. Your eye's already swoll shut."

Lori grabbed her hands and held them in front of her. "Have you ever tried?"

"You have to stop this, child," she said more firmly.

"Please, Nana? If you won't talk to him, let me try."

"Angel..."

"Please, Nana," she said squeezing her hands.

"Let me get your ribs wrapped and settled, then we'll try, okay?"

Lori nodded, trying to be patient. Right now Nana was her only ally and she didn't want to lose her. Nana rounded the corner into the small storage closet. Lori could hear her humming in the other room. "Here we go," she said returning. "I think these will do nicely, you being so tiny and all. Don't you eat, child?"

"Every chance I get," Lori assured her.

"You know that's probably true. Here you are skinny as a rail, likely eatin' anything and everything you want while ol' Nana here can just look at something sweet and swell up like a pot bellied pig." Lori smiled and Nana bent to help her to her feet. "You gonna' have to stand for this, Angel so I ca get you wrapped right." Lori winced with the movement. "You don't have to stay quiet for me," she winked. "That's smart, staying quiet around Bull. He likes it when they scream. It makes him stronger." Lori held her arms up so that Nana could look at her ribs. "I think these two over here are cracked. You've got a nasty bruise forming. Are you breathing okay?" Lori nodded. "Good. This will help."

"You see what he does? You saw him beat the other girls?"

"Turns my stomach. The more they cry and beg, the more he hits 'em."

"You can't stop him?"

"Now don't you think I would if I could? Bull shows up when he wants and leaves when he's mad or finished. I got no control over him."

"Nana, could I ask you a question?"

Nana continued wrapping Lori's ribs with the old t-shirt pieces she had torn and tied together. "I suppose I can't stop you either, huh?" she chuckled.

"What do you see when you look in the mirror?"

"Now what kind of question is that?" she teased.

"I'm just curious. You're beautiful, Nana. I just wondered if you see that too."

"Beautiful is a strong word, child."

"What _do_ you see?"

"Hold your breath, Angel," Nana said and tied the last knot. She pulled Lori's shirt back down over the wrap. "I see a tired ol' woman, child. That's why I don't look in the mirror any more," she said and tapped Lori playfully on the nose. "You're different than the other girls I've had to work on. You're smart… tough too. Just watch yourself. Bull's always been mean, but lately, since he's decided he'd rather live alone in this body, he's been plum ruthless."

"Nana, could I talk to Markus now?"

Nana sighed deeply. "You're not gonna' let that go are you?"

"No."

"You're stubborn too… Alright, you can try. How do you want to do this?"

"Can we sit?"

"Sure. Here, let me help you down."

"Thank you." Lori sat cross-legged in front of Nana. The old woman closed her eyes and wished Lori luck. "Markus," Lori said quietly. "Markus, I need to talk to you. I know you're in there and I know you can hear me. Markus, my name is Lori and I'm in trouble. You're the only one that can help me. There's a man. His name is Bull and he's gonna' kill me. He's gonna' kill you too if you don't stop him. Markus I need to see you. I need to show you what's happening. Please Markus, I need to talk to you."

Nana opened her eyes. She looked confused as if she were seeing Lori for the first time. "Markus?"

"Who are you? Where's Rachel?"

"I'm Lori."

"Where are we?" he asked noticing for the first time her bound hands and feet.

"We're in a warehouse. A man named Bull brought us here... You brought us here Markus."

He shook his head fighting the onset of one of his headaches, the kind that usually knocked him out.

"Stay with me Markus. Fight it."

"Fight what? What's happening?" He was frightened and Lori feared she might lose him.

"Markus, I need you to listen to me," she urged, her voice commanding yet soothing and empathetic. "The headaches you have, the bad ones that steal time... You have another personality; one that you know nothing about. I know this sounds crazy, but its not. I don't have a lot of time to explain it all to you right now, but this man, this personality… He takes over and you lose time." She could see that he was listening, that what she was saying made sense to him somehow. "Markus, this all started with Rachel, didn't it?"

He frowned. "What do you know about Rachel?"

"I know you cared about her. I know she disappeared right about the same time your headaches started."

Markus pressed is palm hard into his eye. "Fight him, Markus. Stay with me. I can help you figure this out."

He grabbed his head and clinched his jaw. "Where's Rachel? I find her... time and again I find her, and then she's gone."

"Markus, your mother was schizophrenic, so was your grandfather. It's an inherited disease. You have multiple personalities living inside of you too. One of those personalities brings you a girl, a young blond woman and feeds your delusion. You think its Rachel, but it's not. Just like you thought I was her at first, remember? Schizophrenia and multiple personality disorder are not the same thing. You suffer with both, Markus, and it's not your fault. You have to believe me when I tell you; it's not your fault. But this other personality, he has his own schizophrenic delusion. He thinks he works for someone named Milliken. The girls he brings to you end up beaten and dead."

His lower lip started to tremble. "Is Rachel dead? Did he kill her? Did I kill her?" he asked as tears began streaming down his face. "I don't know. I wish I could tell you differently, but no one has seen her in two years." He buried his head in his lap and rocked back and forth. She tentatively placed a trembling hand on top of his head and kept talking, trying to help him understand. "Do you remember anything about the night she disappeared?"

He shook his buried head. His voice was muffled. "I remember waking up under the big oak tree at Battle Hill..."

"Battle Hill?"

He nodded slowly, his head still buried. "At my old school. It was the first time I blacked out. I found out Rachel was missing a few days later." He started shaking all over and rolled to his side away from Lori. Desperate to keep Markus with her she followed him and rested her arm over his cradling him as best as she could. "Stay with me Markus. We're gonna' figure this out."

She rubbed his arm and shushed him until he stopped shaking. When he spoke his voice was stronger. "My life isn't mine anymore. I've been bouncing for so long… "

"I know, Markus. I'm sorry. I want to help you, but we have to get out of here first. Can you help me with this duct tape, please? We have to hurry, Markus. We need to get out of here before Bull comes back."

Markus rolled away from her and sat up, a sardonic grin painted across his face. "Too late, princess. I'm baaack," he sang. He dove at her, knocking her off of her knees sending her careening into the wall. This time she screamed. She couldn't help it. He was terrifying. He scrambled for his knife grabbing it before Lori could regain her footing. He shoved her back to the ground with his foot and held her there, his boot across her windpipe. He cut the rope where it encircled her wrists and drug her over to the hook dangling from the ceiling in the middle of the room. He hoisted her up and forced her hands over the hook so that she hung by her wrists. He left her swinging while he lowered the hook so that the balls of her feet just grazed the cold floor. She twisted and kicked trying to gain some sort of leverage to aid in her escape. He caught her from behind and pulled her tight against him. "None of that, princess," he teased. She strained against his hold. "You're a feisty one, aren't you? Sure you don't want to tell me what you did to land yourself on Milliken's list?"

"Milliken doesn't exist and neither do you," she spat through her teeth.

"If that were true, then this wouldn't hurt a bit, would it?" he said as he raked the blade across her last rib and abdomen leaving a deep, piercing cut that traversed the breath of her mid-section. She drew in a sharp breath, too startled to scream. It felt like her abdomen was on fire. Hot, sticky blood spread across her shirt. He circled her and stepped back inspecting his work. "Well now, that's gonna' leave a mark," he said through a grin. Invigorated by his handy work, he drew his fist back and punched her once in the gut sending her dangling body flying backwards. The metallic smell of iron filled her nostrils and mouth causing her to gag and wretch. She heard Bull fall to the side of her like he had been hit from behind. For a moment she thought she had been saved. He rolled to his back, eyes wide with fear and confusion. He stood and stumbled toward Lori, but dropped again when he saw the blood. "Markus!" she tried to scream, but she choked on the bile in the back of her throat. "Markus wake up," she pleaded. He moaned, but his eyes remained closed. "Markus if you can't help me, send Nana. Please, Markus," she said fighting her own battle with consciousness. She watched in horror as blood, her blood, pooled on the floor below her.

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Hope that wasn't too brutal. Steve and Danny are up next as Steve hits his breaking point.**


	13. Chapter 13: Breaking Point

**A/N: I would first like to thank everyone who has read and reviewed. I really appreciate you taking the time. This has been so much fun to write, by far the longest fanfic I have ever written. I hope you enjoy.**

Steve spent a sleepless night, tossing and turning. Over and over, frightening images of Lori calling to him for help woke him before he could reach her. He sat up in bed breathing hard and threw his legs over the side. Sweat drenched his t-shirt. He looked at the clock, 3:30, and knew there would be no more sleep for him this morning. He grabbed a pair of shorts and his water shoes and set out for a run down the beach. Returning home, he had no idea how far he had run, but his watch beeped the 5:30 alarm. He peeled off his shirt and shoes and dove into the water. Finding the most comfort when he was completely submerged, he practiced seasoned SEAL breathing exercises remaining under water longer than most normal human beings ever could. The water calmed his nerves as it always had. He floated on his back and let the warmth of the rising sun bathe him while he prayed for Lori's safe return. He put the coffee on to brew and went upstairs to shower. It was still early, but with nothing else to occupy his mind, he went on into work hoping to busy himself with whatever needed to be done at Five-O. Everyone would be in by nine. He would take Kono to the hospital and see what information they could gather from Kerrie. A man from Lori's complex had seen Williams throw a large storage trunk in the back seat of an old maroon Ford Taurus and head north. The APB had been sent immediately. One car fitting the description had been stolen four days ago from a downtown parking lot. All others were accounted for. Another dead end. North of Lori's complex led to any number of possibilities, mostly dense wooded areas and rough hiking terrain. There were a few camp grounds beyond that and then the beach. The bureau had promised a helicopter at first light to search the wooded areas for the red car, but Steve wasn't holding his breath. He wasn't surprised when his team began showing up at the office well before start time, despite the long night they had just had canvassing and pulling registrations. Danny was the first to arrive. He went straight to Steve's office. "How did you sleep? Never mind, you look terrible."

Steve acknowledged Danny's assessment with a lazy lift of the eyebrows.

"Where do we start, Chief?" he asked as Chin and Kono joined them.

"I'm going to the hospital to see Kerrie. Kono, you with me?"

"Sure thing, Boss."

"Why don't you two stay in touch with the FBI? Let me know if they find anything on their helicopter search. I hate to ask, but I think a quick canvass of the campgrounds north of Lori's complex might not be a bad idea."

"Hey, I for one love campgrounds," Danny said. "You know me... all about the outdoors." he winked. Steve couldn't help but reward Danny with a small yet hollow smile. He knew his friend was trying to keep things as light as possible, and he appreciated the effort.

"Let's go, survivor man," Chin teased.

**H5O**

"Kerrie?" Kono said and knocked softly on the hospital door. Morgan was seated on the opposite side of her bed. She stood and greeted Steve and Kono, pulling Kono into a tight hug.

"Thank you," she whispered and looked at Steve over Kono's shoulder. "Thank you for saving her."

"How's she doing?" Steve asked.

Morgan turned back to her friend. "She's better, I think."

"Have you talked to her about what happened? Has she said anything?" Kono asked delicately.

"Not much. They have her on some pretty heavy pain medication, though."

"What has she said, exactly," Steve prodded.

"She said she thought he had multiple personalities. Whenever he got mad or upset, he would change right there in front of her. She said it was terrifying."

"Anything else?" Kono asked.

"Um, just that everyday it was the same routine."

"What do you mean?"

"She said he would come and go during the day, but that he always stayed with her after dark. She said he would give her a new dress to put on and then, oh I almost forgot, he kept calling her Rachel. Does that mean anything?" Steve and Kono glanced at each other. "Anyway," Morgan continued, "she said he would give her a new dress to wear and then he would ask her to say his name. When she didn't know his name, he would get really angry and a new personality would appear. Sometimes he was kind of pathetic and he would cry because she didn't know it. Other times, she said he would lose it completely and that's when he..." She shook her head, unable to continue.

"So there were three personalities?"

"No," a small voice answered from across the room. Morgan immediately rushed to her friend's side. Kono and Steve followed her to the foot of the bed.

"You found me," Kerrie said to Kono, her voice raspy but strong.

"How are you feeling?" Kono asked, smiling warmly.

"I'm okay," Kerrie assured her.

"Kerrie, do you mind if we ask you a few questions?"

"He's still out there isn't he?" she asked

"Not for long," Steve assured her.

"You said 'no' before when I asked if there were three personalities."

"There were four at least. One of them was very kind. She didn't say much, but she always helped me... after a beating." Kerrie turned her eyes to the window. "She even sang to me one time... when it hurt so bad I wanted to die. I think I would have too, if it wasn't for her." Kerrie's lower lip trembled and silent tears rolled down her cheeks.

"You said, 'her'."

She turned back to Kono. "I did?"

"Yes. You said _she_ sang to you."

"When he was her... I mean when that personality... It was female. I can't explain it, but I knew that that personality was female, an older lady."

"Can you tell us about the other personalities?"

"There were four, no five, that I could recognize. There was the one that called me Rachel and picked out my clothes. There was the older lady. There was the guy that cried when he was upset. He seemed scared most of the time and he never stayed around long. Then there was one that never said anything. He would come in the room and take pictures, but he never spoke. Then there was the angry one. He's the one that hit me. He started with my feet and each time..." Steve could see that she was loosing control. She was breathing quickly and her voice was rising and strained. Morgan did her best to calm and comfort her friend. Steve moved from the foot of her bed to her side and laid his hand on top of hers.

"We're gonna' get this guy. I promise you, we'll get him."

Kerrie nodded, tears streaming down her face.

"Thank you, Kerrie. If you think of anything else, anything at all, you call me. It doesn't matter what time, okay?" Kono said and handed her card to Morgan.

"He has another girl somewhere, doesn't he?" Kerrie asked.

"Why would you say that?" Steve asked.

"I could hear him arguing with someone in the other room, but his voice was the only one I heard. At first I thought he was on the phone, but onetime, I swear, I think he yelled back at himself. I heard him talking about another girl."

"What did he say? Did he mention another place? Another destination? Anything that might tell us where she is?" Steve pushed.

"I heard him say they could take her to the box in the woods, but it sounded like whoever he was arguing with didn't like the idea."

"Anything else?"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I hope you find her."

"We will," Kono said. "Just like we found you." She meant that last statement to be a comfort to Kerrie and to Steve. "Thank you for your help. You get some rest. We'll check on you again later."

"Thank you," she whispered.

As soon as they were in the hall, Steve had Danny on speaker phone. "He may have taken her to a wooded area. There's thick cover near the campground. I don't know that a helicopter search will do much good. Kerrie heard him say something about taking her to a box in the woods. Maybe he was talking about a cabin or a travel trailer, something small."

"I'll tell the Feds and I'll get HPD out here too."

"Good, we'll meet you there."

**H5O**

Steve and Kono found Chin under a makeshift awning reviewing a map of the Keaiwa Heiau State Recreation Area. Danny pulled up just as they met Chin. "I got something," Danny shouted. "I talked to the camper rental places in the area. One of the attendants recognized our guy. He said he tried to rent a small camper a week ago. I asked him if he gave any indication as to where he was headed. He said the guy was rude and agitated; thought maybe he was using. The rental company requires a credit card number be kept on file, _and_ they run a quick background check, but our guy didn't have a credit card so they refused to rent to him. The attendant said he started dropping f-bombs, wadded up the map he had been looking at before knocking over a few things and storming out. A couple of days later, one of their small camper vans was stolen. No security cameras."

"Please tell me he remembered which map he was studying."

"This one," Danny said and handed him a map of Keaiwa Heiau.

Steve spread the small map out on the table. "It looks like there are three roads leading part way up the mountain. This road goes the furthest," he said pointing to a brown line on the map. "Does that match with your drawings?"

"Yes," Chin said and pointed to the roads on the larger map. "This one goes the furthest. It also has less land to cover from where the road ends to the precipice. It's a six mile road. There's about three miles of rough terrain beyond that."

"I say we start there. Chin you're with me. Kono, you and Danny coordinate with the Feds. Tell them what you found and start a search on the other two roads. I've got the satellite phones in my truck. You won't have any cell service up there."

**H5O **

Hours later, just before sunset, a call came through on Danny's satellite phone. He listened while Chin explained how he and Steve had traveled the full distance of the dirt road and hiked to the top with no luck. They had then started back down the mountain searching east to west back toward the truck. They found Williams' camper, but it was abandoned. No sign of Lori or Markus and no clues as to where they might be. He was at the truck waiting for Steve to return. "He disappeared into the woods about fifteen minutes ago," Chin said, "I got the feeling he needed a minute alone."

"I'll let the Feds know," Danny said. "You call Kono. We'll see you back at the bottom."

Steve stopped the truck in front of a group of Feds at the temporary HQ and Chin emerged from the passenger side. As soon as he closed the door, the truck pulled away and disappeared down the road. Danny caught sight of the blue Chevy as it rounded the corner. He found Chin under the awning.

"Where's he going?"

"Home I think. He's pretty torn up."

Danny stared after the truck. "Let's wrap things up here. I'll check on him on my way home."

"Call if you need me," Chin offered.

"I will, thanks."

Steve drove at breakneck speed down the relatively deserted highway leading from the far north end of the island back toward the city. He brought the truck to a screeching halt in his driveway and barreled through the front door, nearly knocking it off of its hinges. He threw his keys across the room hard enough that they left a dent in the far wall where they hit and headed for the kitchen. Pulling a beer from the fridge, he took a long draw nearly draining the bottle with one swig. He leaned on the counter trying to regain control of his emotions, but it was impossible. He closed his eyes and images of Lori, beaten and bruised washed over him. He white-knuckled his beer and threw it across the kitchen. It exploded into a thousand pieces sending amber liquid flying in every direction. He was breathing hard and fast trying to hold back the tears, the anger and the frustration. He headed for the back porch, knocking the breakfast table over and out of his way. Not bothering to grab his boxing gloves where the lay by the back door, he started pounding on the bag hanging at one end of the deck. He was lost in blind furry when Danny found him. "You're getting blood all over your bag..." No answer. Knowing better than to sneak up on his partner, he shouted, "Steve!"

Steve caught the bag and rested his forehead against it, sweat dripping from every pore. "What do you want?"

"Well, I want you to stop beating that poor bag to death and go clean up your knuckles for starters."

Steve looked at his hands. They were raw and bruised, but he didn't care. He put his hands on his hips and stared at the ground for a moment, trying to catch his breath. Turning to Danny, he opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't. He instead shook his head and blew out a ragged breath. "I know," Danny said. Steve looked back down at his feet. "When he took Grace," Danny paused, his voice rough with emotion, still overwhelmed by that gripping fear that you never quite let go of. He cleared his throat and tried again. "When he took Grace, I offered my life to God and my sole to the devil for her safe return. I know what you're going through, partner." Steve flicked his eyes back at Danny still unable to speak. Danny allowed him his space when he crumpled. He rested his hands on his knees and tried to control his breathing, but it was no use. He hadn't cried since his father died, and even then he had only allowed himself a brief moment of private anguish after he was buried. He sniffed and stood up straight, swiping at his eyes.

"When's the last time you ate anything?" Danny asked.

Steve shook his head. "I don't really know."

"Go wash up. I'll call us in an order and go pick it up. How does Hy's sound?"

"That's fine."

"You want the usual?"

"Yeah, that's good."

Danny nodded and turned to walk away. He stopped at the door. "There's nothing I can say to make this any easier. I know that. I just want you to know that I'm here for you, partner, and I'll do everything I can to help you get her back."

"I know." Steve turned back toward the ocean trying hard to keep his emotions in check. He again prayed for Lori's safe return before heading in for a shower.

**H5O**

When Danny returned with dinner, Steve was cleaning beer off of the wall. "Reminds me of college."

Steve snorted in spite of himself. "Finish that later. I have New York Strip, medium rare just the way you like it, steak fries, hot sauce, and a salad with ranch." Steve's stomach growled in anticipation. He grabbed two beers from the fridge and joined Danny at the table. "It's two in the morning in Pennsylvania."

"Oh yeah?"

"I have to call her parents first thing tomorrow."

"That won't be easy."

"No, it won't," he sighed.

"Eat your food. Even Super SEALs need to eat."

Steve pushed the steak around on his plate. Danny tried to engage him in innocuous banter, but Steve was having a hard time focusing. "She's been gone forty-eight hours. You know as well as I do, the first forty-eight are the most important."

"Yeah, but this guy, he keeps them around for at least two weeks. I'm sure she's still okay. Lori's smart, and she's tough. She's got the added bonus of knowing his history. Besides, he's due back at the Walgreen's tomorrow night. If we haven't already found him, we'll grab him then. He's a creature of habit. We'll get him." Steve looked unconvinced. "Eat your steak," Danny nagged. "It's getting cold."

Steve managed to choke down about half of his meal and two cold beers before calling it a night.

"I'll just be here on the couch in case you need me."

"I'm fine really. You don't have to do that."

"Well I'm too tired to drive. I'll consider it a favor. I'll just owe you for another night on the couch."

Steve warmed at Danny's concern. Being with Lori had reminded him of the importance of family. Danny was his family now as was the rest of the team. They had all been working double time to help him bring Lori home. He wouldn't forget that.

"Thanks, partner."

Danny shooed him upstairs with the wave of a hand. "Yeah, yeah... Goodnight."

Steve spent another sleepless night going over and over the details of Lori's disappearance and Markus's profile. He flipped to his side and positioned himself diagonally across the bed. That had always been his favorite sleeping position, one foot hanging off of one end of the bed and one hand hanging off of the other. He wondered half asleep, when _he_ had become such a creature of habit. His eyes popped open and he shot lighting bolt straight up in bed. He grabbed his shirt and his pants from the night before, hopping into them on his way out of the bedroom. He flipped on the hall light and went flying down the stairs. "Danny! Danny wake up! I know where she is!" Danny had rolled off the couch with the first shout of his name. "Danny!"

"I'm down here," he moaned and pulled himself back onto the couch.

"What are you doing down there?"

"I fell, thank you very much."

"Get dressed. You're a genius. I know where she is."

"Yes, I am a genius. Thank you for noticing, but what exactly did I do to earn that honor." Danny pulled on his pants and Steve sat down on the coffee table in front of the couch.

"You said 'he's a creature of habit'," Steve explained. "You're right he is. The Walgreen's, the industrial area, the girls, all of it is comfortable for him… habit. Kerrie said he had a predictable routine. That was part of Lori's profile too. So if you're Markus and you've just lost your victim and your hideout, you're desperate. No time to find someplace new. Where do you go?" Steve prayed Danny would confirm his answer.

"Back to the warehouse."

"Yes! I'll call Chin and Kono. You call Jenkins. Tell him to meet us at Five-O."

**H5O**

She heard his voice, but she wasn't sure he was real. She had heard his voice many times over the last few days, but it had always been soft and soothing and close. He had whispered comforting words of encouragement in her ear, giving her strength. She could almost feel him holding her, willing her to stay alive. "I'm coming," he whispered and she believed him. She knew he would either find her or die trying. But now, he sounded so angry. Curious as to why, she forced her eyes to open. She saw black shoes on either side of her dangling feet. She hadn't even noticed the arms wrapped tightly around her neck and waist, nor the large serrated blade positioned over her jugular. It hurt, but everything hurt. She lifted her head and the pressure around her neck increased. Through the blur of dry eyes and swollen lids she saw him and smiled, as much as her cracked lips would allow. Steve winced when her head rolled back against William's shoulder. She was hanging by her wrists from a big metal hook in the middle of the room. The auto parts company had used the hook to hang engine blocks for cleaning and refurbishment. Williams had positioned the hook so that the balls of Lori's feet just grazed the floor. "Step away from her, Williams. It's over."

"Markus," Lori whispered, her voice harsh and dry. "Markus. I know you can hear me."

"Shut up!" Bull yelled, feeling Markus rumble inside of his head.

"Markus, I need your help," she pushed.

Bull pressed his head to his elbow and squeezed his eyes shut. He was still too close to Lori for Steve to make any kind of move. "I'll kill her, Markus. I swear," he said out loud. Steve's grip on his gun tightened, but he willed himself to stay calm. He trusted Lori and her instincts.

"He won't kill me, Markus. He knows that if he does, my friends will drop in a second." She fought to keep her eyes open against the bright Iights. "He wants to live. He has no power if he's dead. I need you, Markus. You're the only one that can fix this." She knew she was playing a dangerous game, but right now, it was her only option.

Bull opened his mouth wide in a silent scream. His arm fell from Lori's waist, but the knife stayed firmly tucked under her neck. He ducked his head behind hers struggling to remain in control, and dug his palm into his eye. He released a carnal, guttural scream that sent a shiver down Steve's spine and stood back up pulling tighter on Lori's neck. His knuckles were white around the handle of the knife. Blood trickled down her neck where the point of the blade made a small stab incision.

"Markus, please. I need you," she insisted.

Steve watched, helpless, as Lori struggled to pull an ally from the forces warring inside Markus William's head. Using what little strength she had left, "Markus!" she bellowed willing him to hear her and startling everyone in the room. A shot rang out and Lori's body lurched sideways on the hook. Steve sprinted forward holstering his gun on the way. Chin followed him circling behind Lori and Danny headed for the fallen body of Markus Williams. He cleared the knife with a kick and sent it scooting across the floor. He squatted down next to Markus and checked for a pulse, knowing he wouldn't find one. He turned to Agent Jenkins who had sauntered up behind him. "Nice shot, center mark, right between the eyes."

"That's how we do things at the bureau."

Danny rolled his eyes and turned back to Markus.

Steve caught Lori around the waist and gently lifted her against him so that Chin could relieve her wrists from the hook. Her arms fell in front of her, landing on either side of Steve's neck. "I've got you, sweetheart. I've got you," he whispered. She hugged him tightly, clawing at his back and neck, pulling herself as close to him as she could get. Steve wrapped his arms around her back and waist and held her as tightly as he dared, not wanting to hurt her. She shook in his arms; hot tears rolled down her cheeks and bathed his shoulder. He slid his arm under her knees and lifted her to him. "Chin, there's a utility knife in my right cargo pocket. Will you cut the tape on her wrists and ankles?" Lori's hands fell slack from his neck as soon as they were free.

"Paramedics are on the way," Kono shouted from the door.

Lori's head lulled back and her body went slack. Steve adjusted his arm and settled her head in the crook of his elbow. "Lori... Stay with me, sweetheart... Lori, open your eyes," he pleaded. Her eyelids fluttered open and she did her best to focus, but the light was so bright and her head felt so heavy. Now that she was safe, she just wanted to rest. Steve was warm and strong and protective. She immediately missed that warmth when he lowered her onto the gurney. He followed her into the ambulance and held her hand while the paramedics listened to her chest and placed the IV catheter. One hung her fluids to drip while the other headed up front to drive. The paramedic surveyed his patient. Wordlessly, he lifted her shirt and gently palpated her abdomen. Lori's eyes flew open and her knees shot up in response to the pain.

"I'm sorry, Miss. This will make you feel better, okay?" he said and reached for a loaded syringe in a locked box behind him. He injected its contents into her IV line. "There you go. We're almost there."

Lori slipped into sweet oblivion, her hand limp in Steve's. "Lori... Lori!" he called. The paramedic placed two fingers lightly over her jugular furrow. "She's okay. I just gave her Hydromorphone for the pain. It's a narcotic, very safe. She's dehydrated and weak, but her pulse is strong."

"ETA two minutes," Steve heard from the front of the ambulance. "I called it in."

"Tell them we may need a surgeon. The abdomen is taut and bruised. Deep laceration quadrant two," Lori's attendant called back. He turned to Steve. "I think she's bleeding into her abdomen. See this?" he asked, again lifting Lori's shirt to expose a large, angry wound just under her ribs on the left side. "It's been stitched, but see the bruising around it? That was a deep cut, into the muscle, and it's over her spleen. It could have nicked that or her liver, either one would produce a slow bleed. Her abdomen is tight and painful."

"That's fixable, right?" Steve asked.

"They'll take good care of her," the paramedic hedged. Steve rested his forehead on his hands where they covered Lori's and begged God to let her be okay.

**A/N: Thanks for sticking with me. There will be one more chapter to wrap things up! I would sincerely appreciate any comments or suggestions. **


	14. Chapter 14: May 18, 2014

**Thank you, thank you for reading and reviewing. Y'all out there in fanfiction land are great. Love reading and writing on this site!**

**Chapter 13: McGarrett + Weston = McWeston**

**A/N: WARNING: This chapter is total fluff! If you were just reading for the case, you might want to stop here, although this chapter is fun if I do say so myself. I've sewed up a few loose ends, but mostly I've concluded this story with pure McWeston fluff. For those of you diving in, I hope you enjoy!**

She had finally moved upstairs, a big hurdle three weeks into her recovery. She wanted to go home, to spend the night in her own apartment, the place she had been taken from. The longer she stayed away, the harder it was going to be. Steve, however, had other ideas. It wasn't that she didn't want to be here. She just hated that he felt like he needed to take care of her. She had told him as much when he refused to let her leave even though the doctor had released her for light activity. "I know you don't need me to take care of you, but I want to. I like you being here. I like kissing you goodnight right before bed, and I like seeing you first thing in the morning."

"_How could she refuse that_?" she huffed. So there she was, a willing prisoner in the McGarrett home. At least she was no longer stuck on the couch with her bad foot bandaged and elevated. Light activity included stairs, so upstairs she went. She had been sleeping up there in his old room for one week now. Steve slept in the master bedroom down the hall. She had hoped her mandatory stay would include snuggling with Steve in _his_ bed, but no such luck. She knew she was relegated to the room down the hall because he didn't want to push, and not because he had lost interest. She could feel him clinging to self control every time they kissed. Admittedly, she did very little to help as her self control was wavering as well.

Five weeks into her recovery, cabin fever had her clinched in its fist. She was dressed and ready for work when Steve returned from his run. He found her in the kitchen reading the news on her iPad. "Where are _you_ going?" he asked as he placed a quick kiss on her cheek.

"Work," she said and took another sip of coffee, intentionally avoiding his eyes. Steve grabbed a water from the fridge and took a long drink. He watched her _not_ watching him. "I thought you had another week, at least."

"I feel good. I think I'll go in for a bit. See what I've missed."

"Uh-huh."

She ignored his retort.

"Don't leave without me," he whispered on his way to the shower.

She rolled her eyes and kept reading the morning news.

She had to admit, she was exhausted by lunch time when Steve stopped in to check on her. He took her to eat and then home. She suspected that had been his plan all along when he insisted on driving her to work.

Eight weeks out, every doctor she had seen since her rescue including the FBI counselor released her for normal activity, no restrictions. She couldn't wait to give Steve the news, but he had been unreachable all day. He was the person she wanted to share all her news with, good and bad. She and Steve had grown close over the last three months. She knew it was fast by the usual standards, but she loved him. Their history, in fact, spanned two years now, even though the last three months had been on the fast track. She had loved him, she reckoned, nearly from the beginning. The fire behind those green eyes when she had declared herself not interested in the babysitting job the governor was offering had just about done her in. Walking away from him when she left Five-O had just about killed her. Somewhere along the way, he had become her touchstone. He kept her sane and safe when things were as bad as they could be, and grounded her when memories of the attacks threatened to carry her away. Rarely did they squabble. If and when they did, it was brief and light hearted. She was lost in promise when Steve called to check in. She breathed an inaudible sigh of relief at hearing his voice. He asked about her doctor's appointment and was happy to hear the good news, but he was obviously distracted. "What's happening?" she asked. She assumed it had something to do with the case Five-O had been submerged in as of late. He and the team had been working really hard for the last week or better.

"I think we got 'em this time. I'll be late, tonight. I'm sorry."

"Just be safe. You get home when you get home." With nothing to do but worry and pray, she went upstairs to organize and pack her things. Tomorrow she would tackle her apartment.

He called again three hours later. The intel was good. Everyone was safe. He wouldn't be much longer. He and the Five-O team had finally brought down the head of one of the largest drug cartels in Hawaii. He wanted to be sure that all the t's were crossed and all the i's dotted. She understood and told him not to rush. She relaxed a little, now that she knew he was safe, but she was still too wired to sleep. She instead wondered around the house breathing in the smells and soaking in the memories of her time there. Admittedly, the first few weeks were tough. Steve spent more than one night on the couch with her after flying down the steps half asleep when she awoke screaming. His touch calmed her, and his voice soothed her. With his help, she had gotten better. The nightmares were few and far between now. She wondered if they would return when she went back home to her apartment. She shuttered at the thought, but knew she had to face it and soon.

Steve walked through the door at 9:30 causing butterflies to flutter deep in her gut.

"Lori?" he called.

"In the kitchen," she called back.

"Hey," he said with a smile when he rounded the corner.

"Hey to you."

He walked straight to her and pulled her into a tight hug burying his face in the crook of her neck. "You okay?" she asked.

"Long day," he said and drew back to look at her. He brushed his lips against hers for a lingering moment.

"Are you hungry?"

"No, thanks. We ordered in at Five-O." They continued to hold each other, she with her hands locked behind his waist and he with his hands wrapped around her shoulders and back, rocking to and fro like a leaf caught in an easy breeze.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I don't want you to go."

She smiled warmly. "I have to. I have to know that I can be alone again and be okay."

Steve sighed. He understood, but he didn't like it. All the reasons he had for her to stay were purely selfish, however, and he knew it.

"You're already packed aren't you?"

"For the most part."

"Will you give me one more night?"

"Do you promise to let me go tomorrow?"

He scowled, unhappy with the condition, but he relented without a fight. "Promise."

"Good. Grab your shower and we'll have a beer by the water."

She knew him well and it made him happy. In the past, when a woman started anticipating his moves, it was a signal to let her go, but with Lori, it was comforting - like home. She followed him upstairs, stopping in her room to finish packing. She threw her blouse and skirt in the dirty clothes pile and stretched her neck and shoulders unaware that Steve had backtracked to her room. He was leaning against the doorframe watching her. Desires he had been so careful to keep in check were stirring, threatening to overtake him. She was wearing a black slip that hugged her petite frame accentuating every curve and swell perfectly. Using his super ninja skills, he backed silently out of her room and headed for a cold shower.

Lori felt a tingle in her spine and turned toward the door. It wasn't a feeling of foreboding, but it was a strong feeling none the less and it pulled her down the hall to Steve's room. She saw a discarded dress shirt draped over the chair in the corner. He had looked good enough to eat yesterday wearing that same lavender shirt on his way to meet the governor. Remembering the last time she had dawned a discarded dress shirt of his, she quickly shed the slip and buttoned the shirt around her. She loved the way he smelled. It wasn't his deodorant or his after shave. It was him. He smelled like the ocean and the earth. If nouns could be used to describe his scent, they would be words like honor, truth, strength, and desire, not to mention, man. He was definitely all man. She heard the water stop and the shower curtain slide across the bar. She shuttered involuntarily at the thought of a wet and naked Steve just beyond the door in front of her. She wrapped her arms around her chest and turned to the window, lost in daydreams. Steve opened the door and stopped short. She was breathtaking standing there in his shirt. She felt, more than heard, him enter the room and smiled. She turned slowly to face him. He was wearing a white towel around his waist and nothing else. Moonlight streamed in through the window highlighting his chiseled features. She studied him as beads of water streamed down his chest. She envied their course. Her feet carried her to him and her hands pulled his lips to hers. He lifted her against him and she opened her mouth to his. A soft moan escaped her throat, stealing what little control he had left. He carried her to the bed sweeping the covers back with one hand and laid her gently down on sheets that smelled like him. She breathed him in needing him like oxygen. He slid his body over hers graceful yet powerful like an ocean wave. He trailed his knuckles down the line of her jaw. She could feel the calluses rough against her skin. His kisses were painfully tender. They lingered on her lips, her cheek, and her neck leaving tiny sparks hot against her skin. She felt the lean muscles of his arms as her hands drifted up and around to his back. He rolled to one elbow and drug the palm of his free hand up her thigh and under her shirt. He gripped her tiny waist as she went to work on the buttons wanting desperately to feel his bare chest against her own. He swept his hand up her ribs, over her scar, and across her breast helping her free her arm. He lowered his chest to hers and she wiggled out of the other sleeve. She wrapped her legs around his waist locking her ankles for leverage and arched her back driving her hips into his. Their hands moved frantically over each other feeling and exploring hot skin, each tasting the other hungrily. He sat up on his knees and she immediately reached for him. He pulled the towel from his waist and threw it to the floor. Grabbing her outstretched arms her drug her to him so that they faced each other on their knees. He kissed her greedily, frantic with need. He nibbled at her neck leaving a trail of fire from her ear to her breast. She grabbed his biceps bracing herself against the fury of his explorations arching her back and leaning into him fueling his passion. His hands moved quickly over her and she melted into him. His frenzied kisses slowed becoming more deliberate and unhurried. Passion, kindled by love rather than lust, caused him to shutter. He eased her back onto the bed and nudged her legs apart with his knee. She stretched her arms over her head waiting and wanting. It was his turn to study her. He stared into her green cat-like eyes willing her to understand what she meant to him. His gazed dropped to her swollen lips and pert breasts finally landing on the fresh scar that ran across her last two ribs ending near her belly button. She watched as he bent and placed a soft kiss at the base of the scar. He pressed his body against hers and she again slid her legs around his waist. His touch was gentle and deliberate. Light exploded beneath her eyelids as he lifted her to the peak of passion. She buried her face in his chest and cried out when they united as one. He moved as gently as he could giving her time to relax into a rhythm they orchestrated together. She rocked beneath him feeling herself again being lifted to a precipice she hadn't previously known existed. She again cried out as heat spread from her toes to her eyes causing stars to explode beneath her lids. She tried to wiggle away sure she could stand no more, but he held her in place as powerful waves washed over her again and again. She felt weightless and dizzy as Steve shuttered and grunted before collapsing on top of her. His heart threatened to beat out of his chest. She could feel it racing against her own. He was slick with sweat. It felt thick and viscous as she ran her fingers up and down his back. She uncurled her toes and relaxed beneath him.

"Did I hurt you?" he whispered into the sheets.

"Not that I'm aware of," she said and kissed his shoulder.

He pulled himself up to his elbows and looked hard into her eyes. "You sure you're okay?"

"Way better than okay. I promise," she said and cupped his cheek in her hand. He leaned into her touch before kissing her palm. He pushed her hair behind her ear and ran his hand up and down her arm. "I love you," he whispered

"I know," she said as she ran her finger over the dimple in his chin. "I love you too."

"Are you really gonna' make me take you to your place tomorrow?"

"I need to spend a few days there at least. It's the last step. Then I can put everything that happened behind me."

"When will you be back home?"

"Home?" she asked, confused.

"Here... Home is here."

She blinked hard trying to hold back the sudden onslaught of tears. Steve kissed her forehead and rolled her so that her back was tucked into his chest. They drifted quickly into peaceful, dreamless sleep each content with the true meaning of home.

**H5O**

**Prologue: May 18, 2014**

"Hey," Steve called quietly to Danny as he passed by his office door. Danny turned around and answered him in kind. "Come here for a second. I want to show you something."

"Alright," Danny said curiously and stepped into Steve's office.

Steve removed a small black velvet box from his top drawer and handed it to Danny.

Danny looked at the box and grinned. "Is this what I think it is?"

Steve stood square with his arms crossed over his chest, the picture of confidence except for the fact that he was chewing on his thumb nail, just about to chew it off in fact. "Open it."

Danny did just that. "It's nice. Are you proposing?" he teased.

"Nice?" Steve said and grabbed it out of his hand. "What do you mean nice? It's more than nice."

"Hey, what's up," Kono said as she joined them in Steve's office. She immediately noticed the little box in Steve's hand. "What's that?" she sang.

Steve handed it to her. She drew in a sharp breath. "Oh, Boss, it's gorgeous."

"See, Danny. Gorgeous!"

"Does this mean what I think it does?"

"I hope so," Steve said a bit shyly.

"When are you gonna' ask her?"

"Tomorrow night. We're going hiking in the morning up Kaiwa Ridge. We'll be there for the weekend."

"That's smart," Danny teased. "Ask her at the top of a mountain so she can't run away."

"Funny," Steve scowled.

**H5O**

**Kiawa Ridge Trail**

"How you making it?" Steve asked as he gave Lori a hand up.

"Good," she said. "Just a bit winded. I guess I'm more out of shape than I thought."

"This is a good place to rest. There's a great look out point just over there," he said pointing west. "We can even camp here if you'd rather."

"No, I want to go to the top," she said and planted a quick kiss on his lips. She headed west toward the lookout, Steve in tow.

They soon hit the trail again, rested and hydrated making it to the top just before sunset. "It's beautiful," she said as she looked out across the ocean. "Why haven't we taken this trail before?"

"I was saving it," he said as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

She covered his hands with hers. "For what?"

He stepped to her side and pulled her around to face him. "For this," he said taking her hand and turning it, palm up. He placed the little black box in her hand and covered it with his. "I want you to have this. It's a promise, from me to you." She started to shake as the reality of the moment set in. "I promise to spend the rest of my life doing whatever I can to make you happy. My whole world begins and ends with you. I promise to take care of you and to give you the space you need, when you need it, to take care of yourself. I promise to love you through thick and thin and when love isn't enough, I promise to give you more. I want to be your husband, Lori and I want you to be my wife... Will you marry me?"

Tears bathed their joined hands where they fell from Lori's chin. She nodded her answer unable to speak. Steve opened the delicate little box perched in her open palm. A nervous giggle escaped her throat at the sight of the modest solitary diamond held firmly in place by a simple silver setting. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She handed the open box to Steve and flipped her hand over. He slid his promise deftly onto her ring finger. She admired it in the setting sun before launching herself into his arms. He caught her and swung her up into his embrace burying his head in the crook of her neck.

**H5O**

Looks like you're gonna need a new journal," Steve commented as he settled in next to her by the fire he had built.

"No, this is the last entry. I don't need it anymore."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," she said on a sigh. "Would you mind of I read a few entries to you?"

"Are you sure?" he asked. He knew how private her journal had to be. Her therapist had encouraged her to keep a diary of sorts of her recovery. He would see her sometimes writing in it furiously, tears streaming down her face. That was especially true in the beginning. Other times he would catch her smiling and relaxed as she wrote often lifting her head and peaking at him with a cat-that-ate-the-canary grin.

When she nodded, he leaned back against the rock behind them. She did the same and cleared her throat before sharing her written words.

**November 20, 2013**

_Where to start? Dr. Olivet insists that a journal will aid in my recovery, my mental recovery that is, but I didn't even write in a diary when I was little. I understand the theory behind writing everything down, and I really like Olivet, so I promised her that I would give it a try. Poor Steve, he's been amazing. My parents left yesterday. They stayed here at the house for a week, sleeping upstairs in the spare bedroom. They told Steve they would be fine at a hotel, but he insisted. I'm stuck down here on the couch for now. My foot is healing where Bull sliced it open. It was infected so they had to debride it and let it heal by second intent. Steve insists on doing the bandage changes because it still hurts too badly to bend and reach for my foot. My left hand is useless right now anyway. My wrist was badly sprained from the strain of my weight when I was hanging on that hook. The big cut across my stomach is healing well too. The stitches pull and my ribs hurt worse than anything, but I'm alive. Nine days in the hospital. I thought I would lose my mind after the first four. _

She hugged her knees to her chest and flipped to the next dog eared page.

**December 11, 2013**

_Went in to work today. It was awkward to say the least. Jenkins even held his snide remarks to a minimum. Came home after lunch exhausted, but I feel like writing. Seeing Jenkins today forced me to think about Markus's death. I have forgiven myself for wanting him to die, wanting a part of him to die anyway. I wanted Bull to die. I wanted him to die a slow and painful death full of unimaginable suffering. I wanted him to feel what I had felt. The paralyzing fear and overwhelming helplessness that I and the twenty-two other women who suffered at his hands felt. Twenty-two women. That's such a small number when you apply it to most things, but when you are referencing death; twenty-two at the hand of one man is huge. The thing I struggle with most is that in wishing for Bull's death, I was also damning Markus, Markus who remained innocent right to the end. He was weak and insignificant, abandoned at three, barely a blip on anyone's radar. He was forced to create within himself someone who cared. It is because of that, at least in part, that I did not die. Nana kept me alive physically. Steve kept me alive emotionally. God used them both to carry me through. Add Markus to the list of victims and the number grows to twenty-three. That's unfathomable. I will carry that number in my heart, but I will not let it destroy me._

She stretched her legs out in front of her and leaned her head on Steve's shoulder. He saw her swipe at her eyes without a sound and placed his hand lightly on her thigh waiting patiently for her to continue.

**December 18, 2013**

_Steve told me he loved me tonight. It wasn't dramatic or even romantic. It was real and honest and unrehearsed. We had just finished watching a movie, the second Aliens. I made him watch it with me. The last three nights have been nightmare rough. Ripley was a strong woman and she kicked a lot of ass in that movie. I needed to see that. Throw in Corporal Hicks, soft spoken yet tough, man enough to work with a woman instead of around her, and you've got arguably, the best movie of all time. Steve was amused when I told him it was one of my favorites, right up there with Footloose and Gladiator. He didn't believe me until he caught me mouthing the lines with the actors. I know every word by heart. _

_Back to the "I love you." When the movie was over, I grabbed the remote and turned the TV off. Steve stretched his legs and leaned forward turning to look at me over his shoulder. I was leaning back on the couch with my blanket thrown across me. "You need anything?" he asked me. I shook my head. "No I'm good." He stood up and leaned down to kiss me goodnight, same as every night. It was a quick kiss, not one of those tempting hell fire kisses like he sometimes lays on me. We were both tired having not had much sleep as of late; thanks to me. When he pulled back, I stroked his cheek and flashed him a sincere smile, wordlessly thanking him once again for putting up with me. That's when he said it. "I love you." It was as if he had said it to me a hundred times before. I stared after him like an idiot and watched him ascend the steps two at a time. No nightmares last night._

Steve kissed the top of her head and whispered, "I do love you." Lori lifted her chin and kissed him softly on the lips. "I know," she smiled. "I love you too."

**January 6, 2014**

_We went out with the team last night. It was Kono's birthday. She's still dating Detective Young. He seems sincere, but Chin and Steve are protective and they haven't completely warmed to the idea yet. We went to LuLu's for dinner and drinks. Nothing says happy birthday like bar food. It was delicious! Mel and the Party Hats were playing. Best cover band ever. I've seen them play three or four times here on the island. They played "Free" by the Zac Brown Band and Steve and I danced. I did feel free wrapped in Steve's arms. Makes no sense, I know. How can you feel so utterly free being held close and tight by strong arms? I don't know, but I did. I do. I rose to my tippy toes and whispered "I love you too" in his ear. Better late than never, I suppose. My feet left the ground as he lifted me into a quick bear hug before whispering, "I know." I think I snorted in his ear. That's our thing now. One says, "I love you," and the other says, "I know." It's good to have a thing. His dry, unexpected humor is just one of the many reasons why I fell in love with him. I had hoped that he might stay with me tonight, but no such luck. When he kissed me goodnight, I did my best to make it difficult for him to walk away, but his resolve is unwavering. He won't lay a hand on me until I've had my medical release. Thank goodness I see my surgeon in three days. _

Steve chuckled. "I took a lot of cold showers in January."

**January 13, 2014**

_I hesitated before entering the apartment. I tried so hard not to, but my feet felt like lead. Steve went in ahead of me flipping on lights and clearing each room. I had made it into the living room by the time he returned. There were no signs of a struggle, no evidence that anyone uninvited had been in the apartment. I didn't realize I was crying until Steve wiped a tear away with his thumb and pulled me protectively to him. He said he would stay either in my bed or on my couch, whichever I preferred, but he wasn't leaving, not tonight. I think I argued, but only half heartedly. To be honest, the thought of being alone was terrifying. I closed the bathroom door and locked it, a new habit I've developed. It used to be that I never even closed the door. When I opened it, Steve was setting on the floor across the hall. He stood and waited for me to take the lead. I know that wasn't easy for him. I held my hand out and let him pull me to him. I gave him a quick kiss and patted his chest trying to reassure us both. I slept in my bed and he started on the couch, but my nightmare had him hurrying back down the hall to my room. He held me and I slept, his strength keeping the nightmares at bay. I tried again the next night, but I saw Bull in my dreams yet again. I woke this time before I felt the searing pain that always seemed so real. Neither did I see my own blood pooling at my feet, as was usual. Most importantly, I didn't wake screaming._

**January 16, 2014**

_No nightmares, not since the second night back in my apartment. Steve and I had dinner out tonight. He asked me to come home with him, to stay the night with him in his bed. I agreed, quite willingly. We made love for the second time. It was as wonderful as the first. We took our time, touching, feeling, and learning each other. He fell asleep quickly, wrapped tightly around me. I moved and he rolled to his back. I took the opportunity to watch him sleep. He's beautiful, no one could argue that point, but he's so much more than that. I kissed his hair and snuggled into his side. I am not well yet. I still have scary dreams, but they are just that, scary dreams, not the gripping nightmares that plagued my sleep in the months that followed the attack. I am, however whole and complete and that is the greatest blessing that love affords._

Lori flipped through the journal, skipping nearly to the end.

**April 22, 2014**

_Last appointment with Olivet today. She has declared me sane. It's nice to have that reassurance! We've mostly talked about Markus for the last month or so, anyway. He would have been a fascinating study. Schizophrenia complicated by multiple personality disorder is extremely rare. I still hurt for Markus, but feel nothing but relief that Bull is dead. Markus is finally at peace and that gives me comfort as well. To say that my life is good would be the understatement of the year. It's not easy, but it's better than I deserve. I worry about Steve and the things he does at work, but I can't protect him, and I would never ask him to change. His work ethic and his fearless pursuit of what is right first drew me to him. His gentleness and his incredible capacity to love sealed the deal. But still I worry. I suppose I always will._

**May 18, 2014**

_This will be my last entry and boy what a doozey. Steve just asked me to marry him and I, of course, said yes. Turns out he and my family have been skypeing. He asked for my Dad's permission weeks ago and showed my mom the ring. I will call them as soon as we get back. So much has happened since last fall. I have been blessed with two second chances, two more than most folks are granted. I have my life and I have Steve. I will thank God everyday for his blessings and I will do my best to make Steve as happy as he makes me._

She closed the journal and rubbed the front of it fondly before tossing it into the fire. Steve jumped and dove for it. She grabbed his arm. "Let it go."

"What?" he said, alarmed.

"I don't need it anymore. I have you and I have your promise. I have the memories I need in my head. The rest is just baggage. Let it burn."

Steve stood and pulled her with him. "I love you."

"I know. I love you too."

"Did I mention that I want to marry you soon?"

"How soon?"

"As soon as possible."

"Then I guess I have some planning to do, huh? Something simple and intimate. What if we..."

**A/N: You can take it from there! Thank you so much for reading. This was a great deal of fun to write. Hope it did not disappoint. I don't like goodbyes, therefore conclusions are extremely difficult for me to write. I prefer to leave things open for further imagination. Would love to read your parting thoughts, so how about one last review?**

**God Bless,**

**Rennie**


End file.
